Band Of Thieves: Return of the Ring
by Evil's Muse
Summary: Black lifted her head, spit the dirt out of her mouth, then froze. The torch was rolling straight toward the wizard's black powder. Just before it came to rest at the bomb's side, she cursed. Aw, shi
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer**: I have kidnapped Aragorn and Legolas for a short while to help me create this story, but be that as it may, these characters do not belong to me, only the awkward, often twisted ones, do.  
  
**A/N:** This is the end of the first Band of Thieves story, beginning of the second. If you have not read the first one, some things may not make sense, though the first is not necessary to understand the second; you've just missed everyone's introductions.  
  
**Prologue**  
  
Once she felt the burst of the barrels behind her, the woman in black expertly jumped free of the wagon and disappeared in the thick smoke cloud. She ran through the trees, careful not to make much noise lest the Elves hear her, despite the diversion.  
  
When she was safely out of eye or ear shot, the women slowed her pace and began walking in the direction of two people bound tightly to a couple of trees in the distance. The two captives—one Man, one Elf—were conversing frantically in hushed voices. They abruptly fell silent when the hooded woman materialized out of the trees.  
  
"Back again so soon?" questioned the man.  
  
"I have a proposition for you," the woman said, kneeling to the others' level.  
  
"There is no proposition that can be trusted if made by a kidnapper and a thief," the Elf said bitterly.  
  
"I'm afraid you have no other choice, my dear Princeling," the woman replied.  
  
"What do you want?" the man asked.  
  
The woman returned her attention to the Ranger. "It took me a while," she said, "but I finally came to my senses." She slowly retrieved a thick gold ring from a pocket in her cloak and held it in her outstretched palm.  
  
"I was holding it," she continued, "after I'd made a few fireballs, and I noticed something very strange." The woman began to rotate her hand slightly, at the same time wisps of feathery gray smoke issued from her palm. "The ring began to glow." And so it did then. "Then a peculiar kind of writing appeared along the band." The Elf and the man tied to the tree watched as markings were etched onto the gold with an invisible chisel.  
  
"This is the One Ring," stated the woman, "is it not?"  
  
"I see no use in denying it," admitted the man.  
  
"You knew this," the woman went on, "and yet, you let a small hobbit with big ears and hairy feet take it? What was he planning to do with it, may I ask?"  
  
"You may ask, but I will not answer," the man told her.  
  
"Ah, I understand," the woman nodded. "An errand of secrecy, as is my own." The man bowed his head in agreement. "Then here is my proposition: I return the Ring to you and let you continue with your errand, and you let me and my company go. Thus both errands of secrecy remain just that: a secret. What say you?"  
  
"That's it?" the Elf asked. The man, as well as the cloaked woman, glared at him.  
  
"I will honor your request, if you honor it yourself," the man agreed.  
  
"I shall," the woman promised. She whipped out a short knife and proceeded to cut the two captives' bindings.  
  
"There is one more thing, however, which I must ask of you," the man said as he was freed from his bonds.  
  
The woman paused to ask what that might be.  
  
"I need you to return the Ring to the hobbit from whom you stole it to begin with," he said.  
  
"What?" the woman asked, throwing up her hand in disbelief. The Elf leaned nervously away from the woman's flailing knife hand. "You want me to trudge half-way across Middle-earth just to give some hairy midget man back a piece of gold jewelry? Do it yourself!" she yelled while rising to her feet.  
  
"Please," the man implored, "you must do this."  
  
"What for? I already said I'd give the Ring to you! What? Are you afraid of a little gold ring?" she taunted.  
  
"I cannot take it," the man said.  
  
"Then make the Elf take it," said the woman.  
  
"I don't want it," the Elf quipped from his position on the ground.  
  
"What a bunch of sissies!" the woman said, exasperated.  
  
Suddenly the woman felt her arms wrenched up behind her back and her knife stripped from her hand. The Elf had somehow wriggled free while she wasn't looking.  
  
"You have the choice of aiding us freely, or forcefully. Either way, you're doing it," the man told her as the Elf placed the knife's sharp tip to her back.  
  
"That is a dirty little trick," she breathed. She debated with herself for a minute, and then reluctantly consented. "Fine."  
  
She twisted herself free, rounded on the Elf, and snatched her knife back. "Ruddy Elf," she muttered as she glared.  
  
"How long will this take?" the woman asked the Ranger.  
  
"Less than a fortnight," he responded.  
  
"There is no getting a straight answer around here, oh no," the woman mumbled to herself. "No, they love their ambiguity too much." Then addressing the Ranger once more she said, "Since I will be gone for a while, you must in turn let me alert my company to my brief absence."  
  
The man was about to reply when the woman spoke again. "On second thought," she mused, "perhaps not. No, I do not think that is absolutely necessary." She smiled. "What are we waiting for? Let us proceed!" And the woman shrouded in her black cloak marched off into the forest, with the man and the Elf close behind 


	2. Ain't Going Down 'Til The Sun Comes Up

Chapter 1 - Ain't Goin' Down 'Til the Sun Comes Up  
  
A/N: IMPORAATNT! If you have not read Book of Blue by Amaya Rayne, the portions with Legolas and Aragorn may not make sense. For those who don't know, Legolas was in love with Blue, whom he called Aluhin. The Elf saw a sword go through Blue's belly and thinks her dead, though she is anything but. Legolas also had an encounter with Black a few years before he knew Blue, where Black had been a prisoner, but escaped by exchanging an Elven guard's life for her freedom. Before she left she gave the guard a scar along the edge of one of his ears where she had burned the skin. Then when Blue was stabbed, Black, or Aegnor as Legolas called her, showed up and took Blue away. Naturally, Legolas has a strong dislike for  
  
Black.  
  
Also, the portion with Legolas and Aragorn was written by Amaya Rayne, and is part of Blue II. I just edited it slightly to fit it in.  
  
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"You!" Legolas' eyes grew wide in recognition of Aragorn's companion. He had not realized fully who she was until now. "You!" he shouted as hatred shown in his eyes and he began striding toward her. Aragorn stepped in his friend's path. The Elf tried to side step him many times until Aragorn held him steady in his place, giving him a stern look. "Why are you protecting her?"  
  
"She is joining us."  
  
"Joining us! Aragorn, what madness has corrupted you?" Legolas' hatred turned to astonishment. "You know what she has done. She is more likely to take the Ring for herself than destroy it!"  
  
"Who wants an inanimate object whispering their name? Too creepy if you ask me," the woman said from behind Aragorn. Legolas' attention turned to her and his brown eyes bored into her.  
  
"She has abilities and knowledge which could aid our quest," Aragorn answered in a calm voice.  
  
"I do not believe this!" Legolas yelled as he stepped back from Aragorn. He looked from the woman to Aragorn and the anger diminished. "Very well, Aragorn. If that is your wish, then so be it. But I bid you a fair journey for I will not join you with that murderer in our company. Aluhin's death is too near to me."  
  
Aragorn's face fell, "Legolas--"  
  
"That, is where you are wrong," the woman spoke. "If you remember, it was not I who killed your bonnie lass, but your father." Legolas showed no changed in expression. "Oh come, now. Could you forget your father's shiny sword sinking into the flesh of her abdomen while you lay out of reach?"  
  
Legolas grimaced and looked like he was going to lose his composure. "But you took her away from me," he whispered. He opened his mouth, but a sob escaped not allowing him to continue. His fight for equanimity was clear, but he did not appear to be succeeding.  
  
"Aye, but -" said the woman. Legolas looked at her, eyes shining with unshed tears and a look of confusion on his face. "She's not dead."  
  
Tears fell from the Elf's eyes. "This is why I cannot travel with you. I cannot listen to your lies. I cannot...every time I look at you I think of her."  
  
"Oh, yes, because I look so much like her," muttered the dark woman.  
  
"The quest cannot have distracted thoughts," Legolas went on. "Forgive me, Aragorn, I bid you a safe and successful journey. I would have followed you into Mordor."  
  
"You still can!" Aragorn yelled, stepping toward Legolas, but Legolas stepped back.  
  
"Nay, I cannot. My heart would not endure, for I do not know if I will live much longer." It was then Aragorn noticed how pale and frail his friend looked. "Farewell, Aragorn son of Arathorn. May the Valar aid you on the quest before you."  
  
"Legolas!" Aragorn yelled.  
  
But he was gone.  
  
"That went well," a voice said from behind Aragorn.  
  
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"Ain't goin' down 'til the sun comes up; ain't givin' in 'til they get enough. Goin' 'round the world in a pick-up truuuck!"  
  
"Red!" Blue yelled, massaging her temples. "Please, I beg you, just stop singing!"  
  
"Sure," Red said happily. The woman dressed in the red cloak closed her mouth and began to bounce up and down on the bench seat of the wagon. "Hmm hmmm hm hm hm..." she hummed.  
  
"Ugh," Blue groaned as she hung her head in her hands. "Doesn't she ever shut up?"  
  
"No," answered Green.  
  
It was dusk, and the three women were riding down the old dirt path through Mirkwood in a wagon heavy with stolen gold and mead. The woman in green was on the left, driving the two pack horses, Red was bouncing along on the right, happy in her own little world, and Blue was stuck in the middle.  
  
"I wonder what it would be like to meet a Warg," mused Red. "I bet it'd be fun. They're just like giant puppy dogs."  
  
"No, they're not," Blue said, "trust me. They're giant, killing, eating...monsters. Not at all friendly."  
  
"I bet they are," Red went on, "they just have gotten a bad rap is all. You just got to know how to treat them."  
  
"No, it doesn't work that way," Blue insisted.  
  
"You just gotta be nice to 'em. Pet 'em, scratch 'em behind the ears and they'll roll right over," Red continued joyfully. "I bet they're all really cute, cuddly little doggies."  
  
"Have you ever met one?" Blue demanded.  
  
"No..."  
  
"Well I have. And they are not, in any way, cute, cuddly or remotely nice to play with!" Blue said in a raised voice.  
  
"I'm not so sure," Red said.  
  
"No! You can't say that!" Blue yelled.  
  
"Yes I can," Red said matter-of-factly.  
  
"No! You can't!"  
  
"Maybe the one you met was mean, but that doesn't mean they all are."  
  
"Fine! If you ever run into one go right on up to it and scratch it behind the ears! See if I care when it bites your head off."  
  
"Why would it do that?"  
  
"You've got to be kidding me."  
  
"About what?"  
  
"Ugh," Blue groaned.  
  
"Ugh? Is that Elvish?" questioned Red.  
  
"No," Blue said, extremely irritated. "Antolle ulua sulrim," she mumbled.  
  
"Oh! Was that Elvish?" said Red excitedly.  
  
"Maybe," Blue muttered.  
  
"What did it mean? Can you teach me Elvish? Black never wants to teach me anything. She says I have the attention span of a gnat," Red rambled. "A gnat's a kind of bug, isn't it? I tried turning into a fruit fly once. When I was really hungry and no one would let me touch the fruit bowl. But then Black tried to squash me. Could you teach me to say 'idiot' in Elvish? Black's always calling me an idiot. She calls me lots of things. Most of the time I don't even know what she's saying, so I just like to think she's complimenting me on my hair. Speaking of hair, there was this really funny thing where..."  
  
"For the love of Arda, shut up already!" Blue yelled.  
  
"Who's Arda?"  
  
"Aaaahhh!" Blue screamed. Red had been going on like this for days without stopping, and Blue's nerves were beginning to fray. She was yanking on her hair and glaring spasmodically at Red. How was it physically possible to talk so fast? How was it possible for one person to be so empty-headed?  
  
Red quickly forgot that she had asked any sort of question and went back to bouncing in her seat and humming some nonsensical bar tune.  
  
Green leaned over and whispered in Blue's ear.  
  
"Perhaps now you understand Black a little bit better."  
  
Blue glanced over at Green, calm and relaxed. "How do you put up with it?" she asked. "You never seem to be bothered by Red's absurdity."  
  
"She has her moments," Green replied, "but she's not a complete air-head. I think that's the only reason Black's put up with her as long as she has."  
  
"How long have you three been together?" asked Blue.  
  
"Well, Black came to me about seven, I think, years ago. She was at the end of her rope with Red. Black kept mumbling about trying to get away from her, but somehow she kept following her."  
  
"I was under the impression that Black organized this entire thing," Blue admitted.  
  
"After a while she began to form a plan, yes, but I got the impression that that was not the way it was in the beginning," Green laughed. "Black was traveling around somewhere, doing only she knows what, when she ran into Red. I don't know the whole story, but apparently when Red was leaving some bar, she tripped and hit her head. Black was the first person she saw when she came to, or the only person that looked familiar when she woke up, something like that. Anyway, Red just started to follow Black around. Black tried as hard as she could, but everywhere she went, Red was there.  
  
"Black eventually discovered everything about Red, and started to get the idea of creating a small band of thieves. She came to me because she wanted someone to dump Red off on when she needed to go out on her own."  
  
"Why on earth did you agree?"  
  
Green shrugged. "I owed her a favor. And I had just lost my ship. It seemed like a good offer at the time."  
  
"Do you ever regret joining Black?"  
  
"I don't think 'regret' is the right word. I miss the ocean at times, of course, but..." she trailed off.  
  
"But what?" Blue insisted.  
  
Green shrugged again. "Nothing."  
  
They were silent for a while. The only sounds came from the wind, crickets, and Red's soft humming.  
  
"There's still something I don't understand," Blue said. "If Black never wanted Red around in the first place, and if Black really can't stand Red, then why were they laughing and singing together when I first met you?"  
  
"I think Black realized that Red isn't so irritating after a few mugs of ale." 


	3. Deserter

**Chapter 2** - Deserter  
  
**A/N:** (The portion with Legolas and Aragorn was written by Amaya Rayne, and is part of Blue II. I just edited it slightly to fit it in)  
  
The rain was coming down harder and Aragorn wiped the soaked strands of hair out of his eyes. He had been wandering through the woods when the sky opened to dump its wrath on him. He cursed it again as he drew his cloak tighter around him. He was soaked to the bone and he still had not found Legolas. The Elf had not been seen since he found out about the tenth member of the Fellowship. Aragorn decided he needed to talk some sense into him, but he was beginning to worry he was going to do something unwise.  
  
He scanned his surroundings and looked again at the muddy forest floor. No sign of his anywhere. 'Perhaps he went to seek shelter, solitude, and memories,' Aragorn thought, and headed to a tree where Legolas often spent his time in Imladrais.  
  
The heir of the King of Men did not know how to react when he found the Elf standing in the rain. His weapons were carelessly thrown to the ground some ways away. His back was to him, but Aragorn could tell he was looking into the sky. Aragorn walked toward him then circled him, stopping a few feet before him. Legolas had his eyes closed and the rain was dripping down his face.  
  
"Legolas?"  
  
His eyes shot open and he instinctively stepped back. "Aragorn," he sighed, relaxing his tense muscles again. "Forgive me, I did not hear you...how long have you been standing there?"  
  
"We need to talk."  
  
"No, my friend, we don't. All that I need to say has been said." He turned away.  
  
"Well, I'm not finished!" Aragorn said in a kingly tone that caused Legolas to stop in his tracks. "You will hear what I have to say." Aragorn began walking back around the figure who was now as still as a statue. "I don't know what has gotten into you, but you need to snap out of it. You are a valuable asset to the Fellowship. You are to represent the Elves, Legolas!"  
  
"Send Glorfindel in my stead," Legolas said quietly.  
  
"Glorfindel?"  
  
"He is just as qualified if not more so than I. He will not let you down."  
  
"As you have?"  
  
"As I have," he whispered, his eyes closing.  
  
"Legolas, what is it that plagues you?"  
  
"She is dead...because of me."  
  
"Legolas--"  
  
But he turned his head to the sky and began to softly sing. "I never liked the rain until I walked through it with you. Every thunder cloud that came was one more I might not get through. But on the darkest day there's always light and now I see it, too. But I never liked the rain until I walked through it with you."  
  
"Legolas! Can you not see what you are doing to yourself? You are killing yourself! It was not your fault! You did everything in your power to stop it from happening."  
  
Legolas opened his eyes and looked straight at Aragorn. "How would you feel if it was Arwen?"  
  
Aragorn was stunned, "What?"  
  
"You heard me. What if your father was still alive and hated Elves with a passion? What if he hunted down, beat, and jailed her? You tried to hid her and fell for her even harder being constantly in her presence, having her always by your side. But you father took her from you, putting her on display before your entire home, bruised, bleeding, and un-cared for and you had to stand by and watch when all you wanted to do was hold her close and tell her it would all be all right even though you knew it wouldn't. He locks you in your room during the execution and you can see how your entire kingdom is gathered as if it is a magnificent party. And you lie there on the ground while your father sinks his sword into her, mortally wounding her. All you want to do is hold her and apologize for everything." Tear were mixing with the rain, streaming down his face as he cocked and tried to continue. His voice turned to naught but a whisper, "But she is taken away from you...to die...alone...leaving you...alone..." Legolas' eyes closed, sobs coming as freely as the tears.  
  
Aragorn stood, stunned. The magnitude of Legolas' feelings became clear to him. He suddenly had a strong urge to talk—to show—King Thandruil what he had done. The knock some sense into him. The humanity he had shown the king turned to a great hatred as he watched the elf before him crumble.  
  
"Aluhin, I cannot do this," Aragorn heard him mutter and his hatred melted with the rain as he felt a deep compassion. "I cannot do this. I'm sorry."  
  
"Legolas." Aragorn knelt down next to the Elf and put a comforting hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Aragorn, I cannot hold on. I cannot find the strength to live."  
  
Aragorn couldn't find words. He knew he would not want to live without Arwen. What words could he use!  
  
"I cannot fulfill my oath," Legolas whispered.  
  
"What oath do you speak of, Legolas?"  
  
"I promised her I would not give in...to live and not die of heart brake. Oh, if she only knew the toil of such an oath. I used to think I knew what I was fighting for...I don't think that anymore."  
  
"What did you promise? What were her words?"  
  
Legolas' eyes grew out of focus and for a moment Aragorn thought he passed into shadow or sleep, but Legolas took hold of Aragorn's hands and put them to his temples.  
  
Darkness took Aragorn's vision and he no longer felt the rain or the chill of the afternoon. He was about to draw his hands away when he saw a human girl in front of him.  
  
"I love you, with all my heart and soul. I would take the blade for you," he found himself saying.  
  
"Legolas! You must now!" she plead, gripping his hands in hers. "I could not bare to watch you die in my place!"  
  
"You think I do not feel the same? I cannot live without you!"  
  
"No! You must not! Please, just hold onto life...for me."  
  
"Aluhin..."  
  
"Legolas, please. I will watch over you. I will be with you always, but you must stay. I will live through the moon and the rain and the lightning in the sky. I will be there. Promise me!"  
  
"I could not bare to go on without you."  
  
"You won't have to. You will not be alone. Did you not say how you loved the way I was so free in the rain? Remember that day you followed me and watched me sing in the rain? I am the rain. I will be the rain. Enjoy me that way! Please, Legolas. Do not do this to me." Tears glistened in her eyes and one escaped.  
  
"For you, I promise."  
  
A weak smile spread across her lips, "Thank you."  
  
She leaned in an Aragorn could feel her soft lips on his, the taste of her, when suddenly it was gone and he was blinded by light and trees. He touched his lips and looked up to find Legolas, standing, his back to Aragorn.  
  
"Forgive me, I did not mean to put you through pain," Aragorn spoke.  
  
The Elf sighed, "'Tis sweet torment...to feel her lips on mine once more...to look upon her fair face and touch her soft skin. Only if I could old her in my arms again..." He fell silent and Aragorn rose to leave. "Aragorn...I will go with you, though, I cannot say how long I will last."  
  
"Legolas?"  
  
"I owe it to you."  
  
"You owe me nothing."  
  
"For Aluhin...for aiding our unsuccessful escape. What you saw was the little time you allowed me to see her while you drugged the guards." Legolas turned to him. "The chance you gave me to tell her I loved her."  
  
Aragorn bowed his head, suddenly guilty he did not succeed in the mission Legolas had given to him.  
  
Legolas seemed to sense his thoughts. "It was not your fault. You granted us time which I am in your debt for. I will join your Fellowship, although I wish not."  
  
Aragorn thanked the Elf alone before leaving him with his thoughts.  
  
He stood alone—silent—for an un-calculated amount of time, feeling the rain beat down on him. He remembered his love's words to him and felt her presence.  
  
He sighed as he climbed to the top of the tree where the rain could soak him fully. "I know you're here. I love you so much it hurts. I do not know which path to take. My heart is no longer here to tell me; you have stolen it. But I p ray I have your heart to guide me. You are forever in my thoughts, my love. Rest in peace."  
  
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Stars shined above Legolas' eyes came into focus. His dreams disturbed him, although he did not remember them. His memory seemed fresh and new. Aluhin—did he not see her just a few days past? The dream had his head spinning. Jumping from the tree, he went in search of Aragorn, who he felt could council him on the matter.  
  
He found Aragorn at his camp, not far away. A dying fire provided an eerie glow in the trees. Aragorn sat, his back against a tree, smoking his pipe.  
  
"Legolas are you well?" he asked, withdrawing his pipe from his lips.  
  
"All is well as it should be, but I am not. Forgive me, I should not have disturbed you." He started away.  
  
"No, please. I can see sleep is far from you, as it is in me. Sit, join me."  
  
He looked at Aragorn closely for a few seconds and nodded, seeing Aragorn was true to his words.  
  
"What troubles you?" Aragorn asked, taking another puff of his pipe.  
  
"My dreams have trouble me. Aluhin seems to haunt me."  
  
"Haunt would not be the world I would choose..."  
  
"Aye...visits my dreams often giving me views of what could be," Legolas told Aragorn.  
  
"How so?"  
  
"I had a dream—not more than a fortnight ago back in Mirkwood—that she visited me in the forest. She acted strangely and told me to not speak of our meeting. She left me quickly, not answering my questions and stole my arrows. She returned later and acted normally, but departed angrily when I spoke of our previous meeting. A third time, she led me father away and changed before my eyes into another person completely before tying me to a tree, leaving me there! You, luckily found me, and I told you of the strange events only to encounter a woman—nay, a witch—from my past; the woman who you—Aragorn? Are you well?"  
  
It may have been the dimming firelight, but the man looked very pale to Legolas.  
  
"...Yes...although, I am starting to think this is no dream you had," his voice was thick and forced.  
  
"It was so real!" Legolas exclaimed before realizing what his friend really said. "Why do you say that?"  
  
"I either had the same dream or occurrence. Did the black-cloaked woman not bind us underground and the red-cloaked woman sat and spoke for hours. Aluhin then helped us escape, although I remember being hit with a board, being tied to a tree, and watching the woman set the clearing afire." It was Legolas turn to turn pale and nod slowly. "The reason I believed it to be a dream was I awoke in a different location."  
  
"Yes, but did you notice the burned circle of trees?" Legolas asked. Aragorn did not answer, but seemed lost in thought. "But how could it be?" Legolas asked in a louder voice, standing and beginning to pace about camp. How could she be alive? She could not have survived that wound...unless..." he trailed off and stood still, piecing the unknowns together.  
  
"Legolas!" Aragorn whispered sternly. His tone caused Legolas to snap from his thoughts. Aragorn had a finger to his lips. Legolas looked at him questioningly. "Keep your voice down." He pointed to a bundle on the other side of camp.  
  
Legolas' elven eyes pierced the darkness and saw the figure of a body, more clearly, the woman who stole Aluhin from him; the woman who tortured guards with mystical burns and fireballs; the woman who was part of the Fellowship.  
  
Anger burned his flesh and Legolas stormed over to her. "Legolas, do not wake—" Aragorn plead. But Legolas saw what the man did not: she was already awake.  
  
He seized her by the neck of her black cloak and pulled her from the ground, so she was eye level to him. Her feet dangled a few inches from the ground and she looked at him, shocked for a moment.  
  
"Answers! Now!" he growled. "I know you were listening and I know you have knowledge of which I speak of."  
  
"Put me down and you might get something out of me," she snapped. When he made no attempt, she tried to pry his fingers of steal off her cloak, but to no avail. She cursed and grabbed his hand.  
  
Elvish curses flew though the air as Legolas tossed her to the ground. The woman smiled triumphantly and straightened her cloak. Aragorn, standing, strode quickly over to investigate and intervene if necessary.  
  
"Bloody elf," the woman spat, "teaches you to listen to me the first time." She threw her hands into the air, looking to the sky. "Why don't they ever listen? Don't they understand? Do things my way, save yourself much pain!"  
  
She turned to the males. "What are you looking at? Don't even think about it! I ain't crying on him! He deserved it!" She received more confused looks. "Ah, never mind."  
  
"What do you know of Aluhin?" the man asked.  
  
"Aluhin? Ah, Blue...enough."  
  
"You said she was alive." Legolas added.  
  
"Thank you, Captain Obvious!"  
  
Legolas ignored her comment, "How?"  
  
"Um...that's classified information. I'm sorry, you'll need spec—"  
  
"Does she have more to her than meets the eyes?" Legolas asked, carefully choosing his words.  
  
The woman paused. "Depends on who you ask."  
  
"More than I know?"  
  
"What do you know?"  
  
Legolas thought for a moment before answering, "water."  
  
"Water! Well, everyone—oh! Oh, so she told you about the water," the woman said, nodding in understanding.  
  
Aragorn looked on, having no idea what the two were going on about, but said nothing. All that was needed here was to answer Legolas' questions.  
  
"No...nothing more to her...at least, nothing you need to know..." The woman sounded unsure, searching her memory for any other hidden secretes of the woman.  
  
"Then how does she live? You saw her! None could live through such a wound!"  
  
"Few," the woman corrected. "Few could have survived, but all could survive with the right friends." A large smile appeared on her face.  
  
"So it was an external circumstance, not by her abilities?"  
  
"Uh...yeah."  
  
"You don't sound too sure," Legolas said, searching her for lies.  
  
"That's not information you need to know!"  
  
A wide smile crossed the Elf's face. "She lives," he breathed. "My beloved..."  
  
"Oh, for the love of...don't go getting all emotional on me," the woman said in disgust. "I don't do sentimental."  
  
Legolas drifted from his cloud. "Where is she?"  
  
It was Black's turn to smile. "In good hands, many miles away."  
  
A frown quickly appeared on Legolas' face. "Did she go freely? Is she safe?"  
  
"Yes! No! Ah! Do you ever shut up!"  
  
"No? What do you mean, no?!"  
  
"Didn't think so," she mumbled, sighing. "I'm going to bed since I was so rudely awoken! Pestering Elves, they're worse than Red. This is going to be a long trip."  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------- (This is my work now)  
  
The dark woman and her companions made their way through the trees of Mirkwood. The Elf would not shut up about his precious Aluhin, and Black had had enough of his attempts to force information from her about his beloved.  
  
The day before Legolas had lifted her off her feet and demanded to know what had happened to Blue. Black did not appreciate being disrespected in such a manner, so she had grabbed the Elf's wrist with her bare hands, and he'd dropped her immediately.  
  
He was at it again, but Black did not listen.  
  
"You! Aegnor!" the Elf shouted. Black continued carving the long wooden rod in her lap.  
  
He strode over to her in her quiet corner-it was dusk-and lifted her to her feet.  
  
"I want some answers. Now."  
  
"For someone who has eternity, you sure do have a quick temper," Black sneered.  
  
The Elf rammed her up against a tree. A red light flashed in Black's eyes.  
  
"Tell me the truth," he growled.  
  
Black locked eyes with the Elf in an intent, unwavering glare; the Elf had pushed her to her limit. She pried his slender fingers from her cloak, and grabbed hold of his collar. Single-handedly, she began to lift the Elf (almost a head taller than she), off his feet.  
  
His eyes widened in fear and confusion as his toes cleared the top of the blades of grass. Without breaking eye contact, she whispered in a deadly, menacing voice;  
  
"Touch me again, Elf, and I will hit you so hard that by the time you come to, ooh, boy, you're going to need a new hair cut. You understand me?"  
  
Legolas remained stiff and silent, then suddenly he felt himself propelled backward; barreled into the ground.  
  
Tousled and dazed, he looked up at the strange woman. With the shadow from her hood he barely saw the gleam of her eyes as she gave him one last warning glare, and disappeared into the shadows.  
  
Aragorn looked on from the opposite side of camp. There was a terrible power hidden under that cloak; lurking in the shadows. He was frightened of that power, only because he did not yet know the full strength of it.  
  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------  
(the following about Blue and her dream is Amaya Rayne's from Blue II that  
I felt compelled to add here)  
  
Blue knelt before the king aware of Legolas behind her. The stone was cold beneath her legs. She could feel four eyes watching her every breath.  
  
"Your Highness, you summoned me," she spoke as she stared at the floor. The guard had come to Legolas' room and, although she was hiding, told Legolas to come and bring her to see the king. Legolas was completely against the idea and 'damned her pride' when she refused.  
  
She now knelt before the one who hated her most, waiting for her doom. The silence was deafening in the stone hall, until the king spoke.  
  
"I am most surprised you have come."  
  
"I have lived here my entire life, my lord, and I believe even though I am a different race, I should still obey the laws of the land. When the king summons me, no matter the cause, I shall answer."  
  
"Indeed. Your words and actions have led me to my decision—"  
  
"Father—" Legolas objected.  
  
"My son, please! Silence is bid from you." He turned to her. "I place thee under house arrest with the prince as your charge."  
  
Her jaw dropped in astonishment, "My lord..." she started, looking up at him.  
  
"For the turn of a month. Do not fret, he should be a good charge."  
  
She looked to Legolas who wore the same expression. "Father..."  
  
"I hope you will be responsible enough to take this assignment?"  
  
"Yes, I—"  
  
"Good, then we are finished. You may go."  
  
It took a moment, but Legolas and she found heir legs and walked from the room. They walked silently down the hallways to Legolas' room. Blue could not believe it. The king did not want her dead.  
  
"What just happened?" she whispered, mainly to herself.  
  
"Keep a close eye these next couple days. I do not think my father's true intention was voiced." Legolas warned her.  
  
"Why do you say that?"  
  
"His eyes."  
  
She nodded, knowing Legolas would know best and opened the door to his room and became paralyzed. A warg stood before her, saliva dripping from its exposed fangs and its eyes glinting with malice.  
  
"Aluhin!" she heard Legolas yell as the warg dove at her. She screamed Legolas' name and the world went black.  
  
.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Blue woke up, breathing hard. Sweat covered her and the wind blew through the clearing sending a chill up her spine. She looked around her, her heart pounding in her chest. Two bodies lay on the ground around her, the fire, smoldering, a few feet away. It was a dream.  
  
She laid on the grass and calmed her self down, staring into the sky above her. No sleep would come to her this night. After a few moments, she stood and walked a few yards away from camp. She took a deep breath and involuntarily shuttered. Inner peace was so far for her that she wondered if the torment would ever end.  
  
Her thoughts drifted to Legolas. His life was probably back to how it was before he ran into her. She missed him. Her heart longed for him, but she could never have him. Lust, lust was what he felt for her: lust and pity. He was better off without her, she was better of without him.  
  
She should have never allowed him to keep her. She should have presented herself to the king as soon as Legolas told her. It would have saved her so much pain.  
  
The sun began to rise as the start of a new day. Where was she going to go? She could not go back to Mirkwood. She could not bare to see him again, knowing she couldn't have him. Why was she here, then? Her original plan was to earn gold to pay her adoptive father, but how could she pay him if she could not go back? What was the point of staying here?  
  
she went to camp and began to pack her belongings. She had just finished and slung the pack on her back, ready to go when a voice stopped her.  
  
"Where you goin'?  
  
Green.  
  
"Leaving."  
  
"Really?" It was more of a statement than a question  
  
"Yes, really."  
  
"No, your not."  
  
"Why? There's nothing keeping me here."  
  
"Black would kill me if she came back and you were gone."  
  
"Black's been gone for almost a week. Do you really think she'll be back?" She was beginning to get frustrated.  
  
"Yeah, she'll be back."  
  
"She left with no word and so will I."  
  
"I don't trust you as much as I do her."  
  
Blue stopped. "Well, thanks, but all my life I've gone on my own with no one's trust and have been just fine. I don't see why things should change now."  
  
"You owe her, that's what's keeping you."  
  
"What?" she asked, turning around to face Green.  
  
"You'd be dead if it wasn't for Black."  
  
"You know what? I'd rather be dead. She shouldn't have wasted her tears on me."  
  
Green found her words quite ironic and watched her as she left camp.  
  
"Where'd Blue go?" Red asked, just waking.  
  
"She'll be back," said Green.  
  
"How do you know?" Red questioned. "That doesn't look like the walk of someone who wants to come back."  
  
"Don't worry, Red. She has no idea where she's going," Green assured her, "she'll be back. Come on, let's go eat."  
  
Red's eyes lit up. "Oh, yeah, food."  
  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Black was trudging through the dense forest underbrush and wondering who was more annoying: Legolas or Red (it was a close call) when suddenly she heard a shout and the whiz of an arrow.  
  
"What now?" Black grumbled, turning back and pushing her way through a thick shrub.  
  
Legolas and Aragorn were looking intently up into the trees, searching for something.  
  
Suddenly a giant shadow burst out of the leaves to Legolas's left. With a sickening sort of squirming sound, the shadow collapsed.  
  
Dusk was falling fast, but Black could see that the shadow had been one of those grotesque spider-creatures that had helped give Mirkwood its name.  
  
The Elf went over and pulled his arrow out of the monster and whispered, "Spiders!"  
  
Aragorn whipped out his sword and Legolas fitted another arrow to his bow.  
  
"Oh, come on!" Black said. "We don't have time for you two to stop and play 'spider-slayers.'"  
  
The Elf and the Ranger swiveled their heads to tell Black to keep her voice down, but a spider fell directly on top of Aragorn.  
  
"Arg!" yelled Aragorn as he tried to shove it off of him. Legolas shot at it, but it scurried out of the way.  
  
The spider made circles behind a wall of foliage around the Elf and the Ranger, playing games with their heads, as Black sat back and watched.  
  
"I suppose this amuses you?" said the Elf when he saw the smirk on Black's face.  
  
"Yes," Black answered as Legolas launched an arrow at a fluttering leaf, "yes it does."  
  
Soon the spider sprang again. It knocked the bow out of Legolas's hands and threw Aragorn against a tree. When it disappeared into the trees again, Legolas went looking for his bow and Aragorn limped over to his sword.  
  
But Black saw what the others could not. While they had turned their backs, the spider had crept slowly into the miniature clearing and was poised to bring its stinger down on Aragorn's neck.  
  
"Aragorn!" Legolas yelled.  
  
Aragorn turned round as the spider lowered its sting.  
  
"MOVE!" Black roared.  
  
She shoved Aragorn to the ground and sent a fireball flying into the soft, vulnerable underbelly of the gruesome creature. It fell out of the tree burnt to a crisp.  
  
Black didn't wait for anyone to say anything and started to walk back through the brush. She didn't much care at the moment whether or not the others followed.  
  
Then she heard one of them whisper, "I'll never get use to that." 


	4. Take It Easy

Chapter 3 - Take it Easy

(This first section, up to where Red starts to sing, is Amaya Rayne's)

The red sun was an astonishing site to see as it cleared the horizon. Shades of night which covered the sky had begun to melt into oranges, yellows, and pinks. Light uncovered the beauties of the earth that the darkness had hid in the night.  
  
Her water traits had become a nuisance ever since she left camp and had been growing with every step she took. The longing to submerse herself in the clear liquid was becoming unbearable and she glanced around, trying to find the source. No sound of a stream or rain cloud was evident. The dirt beneath her feet was dry and scratched her skin. 'Why can't it rain?' She wondered as she stumbled on.  
  
Her thoughts drifted to Legolas and she mentally kicked herself. She hated herself for it, but she couldn't keep him out of her mind. He had attempted to save her life and thus impacted her deeply. No one other than her adoptive father had cared about her well-being and she still had no idea why. She wondered, what was the true reason?  
  
She would never know.  
  
'You'll never lose by loving. You'll always lose by holding back,' the words echoed in her mind and she wondered where she had heard them. Who would have said them to her?  
  
She was so deeply thinking about where she had heard them, she forgot about their meaning. She could love him. She was merely two decades old; how could she understand love?  
  
"He's a dear friend of mine," she told herself...her only friend.  
  
Her depression was deep and she barely noticed herself entering what she thought was a clearing. She looked and stopped in her tracks. There in front of her lay a body of water so large she could not see the other shore. It was water how she never possibly dreamed and she understood why he had felt the call from so far away. The expanse of such a place was overwhelming, yet she oddly felt she did not belong; rather, that the water was not welcome to her or she to it.  
  
Was this where she was from, she wondered. Were her parents dwelling in that vastness?  
  
The rising sun caused the water to sparkle with an unearthly light. The colors of the sky were reflected with each ripple and tide, always changing. The water seemed to dance with happiness, yet hold deep secrets within it.  
  
She sat on the sand, feeling too awed to leave, yet too drawn to enter.  
  
She had no idea how long she sat there. Day turned to night and dawn passed. She must have drifted off for many hours, but she remained on that beach for at least a day and a half, until she heard voices.  
  
"Blue? Blue!" It was clearly Red's excited voice behind her.  
  
Red ran over and plopped into the sand beside her, giving her a smile.  
  
"Told you that wouldn't be the last of her," Green mumbled as she sat on her other side.  
  
"Hiya, Blue! Blue?" Red greeted. Blue made no movement or acknowledgment. "Is she okay?" she whispered across her to Green.  
  
"She's fine. Just in awe of the water. So, Blue, you comin' with us?"  
  
She shook her head. "I don't belong where you're going."  
  
"You sure? We're headed out there." Green motioned to the horizon.  
  
"There?" She ripped her eyes away from the water to look at her. "You couldn't possibly...you're swimming—"  
  
"No! What are you, insane? Don't answer that. No, we're not going in it, we're going on it."  
  
"On it?"  
  
"Haven't you listen to anything I've said? We're buying a boat."  
  
Somehow, Blue got dragged along with them. Blue walked along the beach next to Red and Green in the cart, with webbed feet, the tide coming in to wet her feet and be sucked back into the sea.  
  
"You're gonna have to get rid of those by the time we get there." Green told her, pointing to her feet. Blue nodded in reply. She had no idea what he was in for, but what did she have to lose? What else was she to do? She would follow them until she figured out what she'd do with the rest of her life.

Then Red began to sing. Again.

"Well I'm a runnin' down the road trying to loosen my load, I've got seven Rangers on my mind," sang Red cheerily. "Four that wanna hold me, two that wanna stone me, one says he's a friend of mine...Take it easy, take it easy. Don't let the sound of your own wheels drive you crazy..."

Green sat next to Red, tapping her toe and nodding her head in time with Red's singing. She didn't know why the others always hated it when Red sang, she had found it sort of entertaining herself. Red was the equivalent of a Middle-earthen radio.

"Well, I'm standing on a corner in Minas Tirith's lower level; such a fine sight to see: it's a man, my lord, in a four-horse Ford, slowin' down to take a look at me."

Green laughed and slowly fell silent. How she loved the smell of the salty sea air.

"I don't understand it, Aragorn," said Legolas the Elf to the Ranger. "How can she make fire with her bare hands? How is she able to lift a grown man off his feet with no apparent effort? How is it that she came by such powers?"

"Perhaps she is a member of the Istari, or Mearas," suggested Aragorn.

Legolas looked at the man skeptically. "She is a thief and a killer, Aragorn," he said.

"I don't know, Legolas. It was just a suggestion."

The two companions continued through the trees in silence. The brush was beginning to thin out and the sun pierced the leaves more frequently. The edge of the forest was nearing.

Black had already reached and passed through the border of the trees and now, out in the middle of the plain she whistled, listened, then started off in another direction.

Back in the trees, Legolas again was expressing his distaste for the dark woman.

"I don't trust her, Aragorn," he said. "Right now she is probably running back to her thieving friends, taking the Ring with her and leaving us to face our doom alone."

"She promised that she would help us," said Aragorn. "I do not think she would turn back on her word."

"Sometimes I think you are too trusting, Aragorn," sighed the Elf.

Aragorn looked as if he wanted to say something, then decided against it. Instead he kept walking with no word at all.

When Legolas and Aragorn finally emerged from the woods they found themselves standing at the edge of a great plain, mountains in the distance, with absolutely no sign of Black. Legolas glanced sidelong at Aragorn.

"Shut up," Aragorn grumbled.


	5. Two Pina Coladas

**Chapter** 4 - Two Piña Coladas

**Disclaimer:** Anything associated with the lord of the rings is not mine, in any way shape or form. Thank you.

Aragorn and Legolas stood there a while, not sure of what to do.

"Dam woman," Aragorn muttered as he started trudging across the fields.

"You called?"

Aragorn and Legolas wheeled around. Black had come up, riding a dark bay horse and leading two other chestnuts behind her.

"Where did you come from?" Aragorn asked.

"Better yet, where did she _go?_" Legolas mumbled. Black shot him a look from under her hood.

"At the rate we were going through the forest we'd never have made it to Rivendell on time," said Black. "So I borrowed a few horses."

"Borrowed?" said Legolas, eyeing her skeptically. "Don't you mean stole?"

"That depends on your definition of stealing," Black answered.

"Taking something without the consent of the owner and with no intention of bringing it back," Legolas retorted.

"Fine!" Black growled, throwing the reins at the Elf. "So I stole them. Get on the dam horse."

Red was singing again, but Blue didn't mind it much now for some reason. Perhaps it was because she was still somewhat in awe of what Green had called the 'sea.' She had heard of the sea before, barely. It was just something mentioned in whispers or whims by passing Elves. But it was incredibly beautiful.

"Well I was feelin' the blues, I was watching these dudes, when this fella came into the bar," sang Red. "He said I'm tellin' you, that science has proven that heartaches are healed by the sea."

Blue was beginning to like this song.

"Well that got me going, without even known' I packed right up and rode down," Red went on. "Now I'm on a roll and I swear to my soul, tonight I'm gonna paint this town.

"So bring me two piña coladas, one for each hand. Let's set sail with Captain Morgan, and never leave dry land. Hey troubles I forgot 'em, I buried 'em in the sand. So bring me two piña coladas, he said goodbye to his good-timin' gal.

"Oh now I've gotta say that the wind and the waves and the moon winkin' down at me, eases my mind, by leavin' behind the heartaches that love often brings.

"Now I've got a smile that goes on for miles, with no inclination to roam. I've gotta say that I think I'll stay, 'cause this is feelin' more and more like home.

"So bring me two piña coladas, I gotta have one for each hand. Let's set sail with Captain Morgan, and never leave dry land. Hey troubles I forgot 'em, I buried 'em in the sand. So bring me two piña coladas, he said goodbye to his good-timin' gal."

Red continued to hum the chorus as Blue continued to walk along the shoreline.

"How far is it?" Blue asked.

"Can't say for sure," Green answered. "Haven't been there in a while."

"Green?" Red said suddenly.

"What?"

"What's a piña colada?"

Black rode at a gallop across the plains with her eyes closed. She didn't even care that her hood had been blown back. This was the one place she could ever be remotely happy: on a horse.

Legolas watched the woman riding in front of him, her long mahogany hair billowing out behind her, the pack with the wooden staff and various other weapons attached to it rising and falling in time with the horse's stride.

He hated her. How could she be so happy, so pleased with herself when he was so miserable? She knew where Aluhin was and constantly denied him the same knowledge. Why? Why did she want to keep him parted from her?

"Legolas!"

The Elf tore his eyes off the woman's back just in time to see a charging Warg and shoot it down with a quick twang of his bow.

Another Warg came up behind Legolas and he was soon engaged in a battle with two evil wolves.

Aragorn had his own problems as a Warg broadsided him off of his horse and decided to go after the slower moving man rather than chase the horse down.

Black smelled the wretched animals before Aragorn ever called out. She wheeled her horse around to see that the Elf was fighting off two Wargs, still in the saddle, while Aragorn was wrestling it out with one on foot.

The woman grabbed the spear (still in progress, but still useable) on her back and charged toward the Ranger.

She rode by and skewered the beast with one swift stroke. She came back around, snatched the spear from the dead thing's body, switched it for a long sword, and headed toward the Elf.

The Warg saw her coming out of the corner of its eye, but was not quick enough to attack. Before it knew what exactly had happened, it was on the ground. Black jumped off her horse, told it to stay there, and beckoned the wounded Warg over to her. With a sword in each hand, the creature was hesitant to approach the woman.

"Come on, you mutant bag of fur and slime," she chided. The Warg charged.

Black battled the Warg for a minute or two, tired of it, threw a fireball in its face then finished it off.

When she looked up again, the Elf and the Ranger were watching her. She blew the hair out of her face indignantly, wiped her weapons off and returned them to their proper places. Then she went over to her horse, mounted it, and rode off to retrieve Aragorn's runaway colt.

"At least they didn't have riders," Aragorn, cleaning his own blade, said.

"Yeah," Legolas agreed feebly, but he couldn't help but feel a little disappointed that the Warg hadn't mortally wounded the woman .

Soon Black came riding back and handed the reins of the relatively calm chestnut horse back to Aragorn.

"Next time," she said, a little out of breath, "try to take a little more care of your horse."

Aragorn stared at her.

"What?" the woman demanded. "Never seen scar tissue before?"

Black had a large and rather ugly scar jutting across her face, beginning just above her right eyebrow and ending at the corner of her mouth. Numerous other cuts and marks littered her pale, stretched skin, and the Ranger couldn't seem to take his eyes off them.

"Do you take pride in such markings?" asked the Elf.

Black rounded on him, and Legolas involuntarily withdrew. He did not remember the scars on the woman's face to be so deep, so numerous, so fresh.

"What are you staring at, Fairy-boy?" the woman snarled. "You've seen my face before." She flashed a gruesome grin. "And didn't you know? Scars are just tattoos...with better stories."


	6. Rebirth

**Chapter 5 – Rebirth**

**Disclaimer:** Aragorn and Legolas and all them Ring things are not, were never, and never will be, mine.

"You can keep gawking all day," said Black a few hours later as the three companions rode across the valley, "they're not going to go away."

Aragorn and Legolas slowly lowered their eyes.

"Or - " she went on, "I could tell you one of their stories?"

Black laughed at the sight of the Elf's face. "Perhaps not. The Fairy wouldn't have the stomach for it."

Legolas bored a hole into the woman with his eyes. He could only hope that Aluhin's companions were not so grisly.

Black ignored his glare, and rocked back and forth in the saddle as an old, familiar bar tune drifted into her mind.

"I got friends in low places," she whispered.

"I bet you do," muttered the Elf.

"Need you comment on everything?" Black sighed. "Ruddy fairy."

They came upon the river suddenly. The sound of the horses' thundering hooves had overpowered the water's gentle gurgling. At the sight of the river the Elf's face became solemn and he whispered something under his breath, in which Black discerned the word 'Aluhin.' He started to dismount.

"Don't you dare get off that horse, Fairy-boy," Black growled.

Legolas looked at her with that look he always gave her; that look of disgust, hatred, and mistrust.

"I do not answer to you, Aegnor," he growled back.

"Aye, you do so long as you travel with me," Black told him.

"You," his hand moved toward his bow.

"Legolas," Aragorn warned with a shake of his head, at the sight of the glint in Black's eyes.

"Let the horses drink, refill the water canteens, then we go on," she said.

The others obeyed, though the Elf did so reluctantly. He desired to spend time near the water, so as to feel near his beloved. The woman, Aegnor, however, was clearly determined not to let anything of the sort happen. If not for the Quest...

She was gasping, coughing. The fire-wielding woman was caught in the grip of some kind of spasmodic attack, bent doubled over and lurching uncontrollably. Legolas had no pity. Perhaps she was human after all.

The woman forced them to ride on through the night, without stopping. They continued to ride hard all the next day as well. The mountains moved closer, and in no apparent time at all, they were looming over the riders; casting the three into shadow.

"Hurry," the woman wheezed as she dragged the saddle off her horse and turned it loose. "There's a pass around here somewhere."

Though the woman of fire's face grew more pale and stretched, her breathing more ragged, she moved on with great haste. On the third day in the snow-covered mountains, Aragorn grew worried.

"Perhaps you should rest," he offered when the woman was racked by another hacking fit.

"No," she replied between coughs. "Rest...is not...what I...need."

"At least drink some water," Aragorn insisted.

She knocked his outstretched hand and canteen away. "If I get thirsty...I'll grab a handful of snow. Not that any amount of water would quell this fire," she added.

"Don't waste your time or pity on her," Legolas whispered as the woman stumbled away. "Let her die if she will."

Aragorn's words were harsh. "You will take the Ring the rest of the way to Rivendell, then?"

Legolas shut up.

Aragorn had many fears. He feared that the woman would die of cold, or exhaustion, or fever, and that he then would be left to take the hideous ring the remaining way to Rivendell. He feared also, that in her declining physical state, the woman would lead them astray, and they would never find their way to the House of Elrond; or that the enemy would find them in their snow-blindness before they reached Imladris: or, finally, that they would all perish and the Ring would again be lost, and never find the elven haven.

She was beside him.

"There," she pointed.

They were at the edge of the slope downward-they had made it threw to the other side, and were looking down upon vast, green fields, and in the distance: Rivendell.

The woman went over to a place where tiny icicles formed at every crevice in the ice. She took her cloak off, folded it up, placed it on the ground, and sat on it.

"Sliding is faster than walking," she smiled at Aragorn. And with a heave of her arms, she went soaring downhill.

"She'll brake her neck," Aragorn breathed.

"You think so?" Legolas said, almost hopefully.

Aragorn ignored him. Instead, he took off his cloak, folded it, put it on the ground, and sat on it.

"Come on." He yanked the Elf to the ground next to him.

"Aragorn - " but they were already sliding.

Black was waiting for them at the bottom.

"Sliding is faster than walking," she said again. "But I doubt that, with all your pride, you've ever gone sledding down a mountain on your bum?" she asked the Elf as he rose quickly to his feet.

He chose not to answer. His backside was very much bruised.

"It's not far, now," she went on as she rolled her cloak up and fastened it to the bottom of the pack she was carrying. "Let's go."

That night the woman had them camp and rest. Aragorn thought that she would soon pass out, but instead she sat up all night in the moonlight, working and whittling her odd spear. In the morning she looked to be on the edge of death.

"Forgot...what it was...like," the woman mumbled to herself as she gathered up her pack. "Haven't...lived to see a...natural burning day...in...so long..."

Aragorn became anxious. Had she said 'burning day?'

Midway through the day the three came upon a small grove of trees. The woman halted.

"Perhaps we should start digging a hole?" Legolas whispered.

"You cannot remain bitter forever," Aragorn whispered back.

The woman began to stumble into the trees.

"Aegnor!" Legolas called while stepping forward. "Where are you off to?"

In spite of her failing health, the woman's tongue was still sharp. "Keep your distance, Fairy-boy, or it'll be you we throw into the hole in the ground." She hobbled into the grove without looking back. She took a few steps, then ran into a tree, repeatedly, like the ball from a slow motion pinball game. "Where is it? It's here...somewhere..." and she disappeared.

Aragorn and Legolas waited on the edge of the trees, waiting for the woman's return, as she had instructed them. Aragorn was worried, however, that they would have to go into the trees after her to find her lifeless body face down in the dirt.

An hour later Aragorn's head shot up at the sound of a snapped twig. Legolas was staring into the trees.

"Aegnor?"

A shadow moved among the grove, and the dark woman stepped out. She stood tall, her long hair playing in the wind; the grotesque, puffy scars on her face reduced to lines, nicks and cuts compared to what they used to be. Her feet as well as her right shoulder were bare, her pants of a worn brown color were dappled with various rips and tears. The shirt, top, she wore was a dirt-stained green, fitting snugly down to just below her belly button. There was a leather strap from her left shoulder around her torso, and another strap around her waist, slightly lower on her right hip than the left, and both straps had various trinkets and pouches, not to mention daggers, attached. A beaded rope was fitted around, below her right knee, and another around her left thigh. There was a silver bracelet on her upper right arm, and three small silver rings in her upper left ear. She was smiling, and in her eyes a new fire raged.

She had been reborn.


	7. Rivendell

Chapter 6 - Rivendell

**Disclaimer:** For the last time, items, ideas, and people related to lord of the rings are not mine. This applies to all previous and following chapters. thank you.

Black smiled. She examined her hands, stretching and testing her fingers. She shot a ball of fire spiraling off to the side. It exploded in a fury, and black grinned.

"Man, I feel good!" she shouted.

"How? You..." Aragorn stuttered.

Black locked eyes with the Ranger. "From the ash a fire shall be woken," she recited. Then turning to Legolas she said, "Come on, Fairy-boy. The quicker you run, the quicker you'll be rid of me." She sprinted away.

She ran with great ease and joy; the trinkets on her belts tinkling and whistling like the air through wooden wind chimes. Even with him possessing the superior qualities of the Elven race, Legolas had to exert himself to keep up. He could have sworn he heard Aegnor laugh.

Towards the evening of the second day of running, Aegnor stopped just as suddenly as she had begun.

Once Aragorn and Legolas were beside her, she gestured to a spot less than a mile away.

"Lest mine eyes deceive me," she said with an impish grin, "there lies yonder Rivendell."

The woman accompanied the two to the edge of the valley before she halted them again. Ever since her fantastic transformation in the grove a few days earlier, Aegnor seemed to be a kind of giddy nymph; always grinning mischievously, murmuring queer incantations. Aragorn could not make sense of it. Legolas did not care; he thought it more of her cruel nature to be so obscure and mocking. His only thoughts of her were to wish her ill.

"And so, my good fellows," Aegnor said in her sprite-like fashion, "I must leave you." She bowed deeply, then retrieved a small, unadorned wooden box from somewhere among her many utility belts.

"Will you not come into the valley of Rivendell?" Aragorn asked. "To give it personally to the halfling from whom you unwittingly took it? And to receive your praise for being a Ring-bearer?"

"Scorn for stealing is more what she is likely to get," said Legolas.

Aragorn ignored the Elf. "For food and drink then? For rest before you leave again?"

"Why do you treat her and give her honors as if she has done a noble thing, purely out of the goodness of her heart?" Legolas demanded. "She has done nothing of the kind. It was simply an attempt to rid herself of us; she acted in her own interests."

"She still carried that evil thing so that we would not have to," Aragorn replied. "I do not wish her to go unrecognized."

"But she herself is an evil creature, can you not see that?" hissed the Elf. "I, for one, can identify her for what she truly is; and the only thing I wish her is ill."

"Aye, and don't I know it?" Aegnor said, breaking her silence.

Aragorn and Legolas turned their eyes to her, as though they had forgotten she had been standing there.

"I beg for this one last favor," Aragorn said. "Bring the Ring to the Council, or at least return it to Frodo, before you depart."

Legolas was clearly displeased. Aegnor looked apprehensive.

"There'll be more bloody fairies down there, I suppose?" she said. "I've never gotten along well with the pointy-eared people, as you can tell," she told him, glancing at Legolas. She sighed. "Well, if I must descend into the Realm of the Elves, then I must." She began down the path. "Perhaps they will not be so quick to hate here," the woman mused. "I haven't stolen anything from them personally, as far as I can remember."

"You disgust me," grumbled the Elf.

"I ain't crazy about you either, Fairy-boy," the woman called back. "But we should be willing to endure a few more hours in one an other's presence, knowing that soon we will never have to look upon the other's ghastly face, ever again! The thought brings a tear of joy to mine eye!" And she sashayed out of sight.

As they approached the Elves' dwellings, Aegnor clasped her black cloak around her neck, so as to be more 'presentable' around the Fairies.

She let Aragorn and Legolas go ahead of her as they entered the hall where many people were gathered, eating. Black chose to hang back in the shadows and observe the scene, as a an old, gray bearded man with a staff approached the Ranger.

The old man whispered anxiously in Aragorn's ear. Aragorn in turn clapped a hand on the old man's back and gestured behind him. The old man peered around, then looked back at the Ranger. Aragorn turned swiftly; looking about frantically, questioning Legolas.

Black chuckled. She could guess the situation as she saw Legolas mouth the words 'I told you so.'

Not wishing to cause trouble, she cupped a small ball of fire in her palm to give off an unobtrusive glow - to alert Aragorn of her presence. Seeing this, Aragorn was quite relieved, and pointed Aegnor out to the old man.

The old man was a Wizard, one of the Istari, Black noted. As he stared at her, appraising her, Black nodded her head slightly in recognition. This was a man of respectable magic; a real Wizard, not the kind of psychotic witch-doctor that she had dealt with before. She had to find a way to talk to him-away from all these suspecting eyes.

Black remained in that corner, observing everyone carefully but never losing sight of the Wizard, the whole night. It wasn't difficult to pick out the hobbits; four midgets in a crowd were always easy to spot. She located the one named Frodo. He stared down at his mug with wide eyes. Hadn't he worn that same expression when she had first met him? Maybe his face was frozen that way.

No one noticed, or at least no one mentioned anything as they passed Black in her corner when they left the dining hall. When Frodo got up and made to leave Black gave an inward sigh. First thing's first; she had to return that wretched Ring, then she could talk to the wizard.

Frodo walked slowly through the dark halls. He had been going about in a cloud ever since he had lost the Ring to that pickpocket. If Sauron found the Ring and claimed dominion over the earth it would be all his fault.

Frodo jumped and swirled around when he felt a hand land on his shoulder.

"Hello, Frodo."


	8. Return of the Ring

**Disclaimer:** As stated earlier: LOTR is not mine.

Chapter 7 - Return of the Ring

A dark shadowy figure stood before him; their face a featureless black pit underneath their hood.

"Who are you? What do you want?" demanded the hobbit.

"Mr. Frodo?" came Frodo's companion, Sam's, voice. There was the patter of bare hobbit feet on the stone floor and another, much rounder, hobbit appeared at Frodo's side.

Sam immediately stepped in front of Frodo when he saw the hooded figure, in what seemed to be an attempt to protect his friend.

"Go, Mr. Frodo," Same whispered, putting up his fists.

Suddenly the other two hobbits, Merry and Pippin, came laughing and singing into sight. When they saw Sam standing there with his fists in the air, they rushed over.

The dark figure took a step back, hissed, and left.

"Cursed midgets," Black muttered as she stalked off down the hall. She had wanted to catch Frodo alone so she could return the Ring to him privately. Those other bumbling idiots would only foul it all up.

She'd worry about Frodo later. She needed to find that wizard.

Black roamed the halls of the Elven haven for hours into the evening to no avail. The wizard was always with Aragorn or some fairy, and every time she tried to get to Frodo, the other hobbits were gathered around him.

She took refuge under a large tree in a courtyard somewhere, watching the night sky. She slipped into a trance, where bits and pieces of old, worn out memories played through her mind.

Blood ran down her face, filling her eyes, nose, and mouth with the cold, metallic taste. She couldn't see, it was all a blur. Overcome with the taste and smell of her foes' blood as well as her own, all she could glean from the battle raging around her were the high, pitiful screams of women and children; the sound of flames as they ravaged the wagons' canvas and wood. She was grabbed from behind, one man on each arm, and they dragged her away, kicking and screaming.

She was on a platform. Chains dangled from her wrists and ankles. She glared out into the surrounding crowd with her one good eye as they gazed back, looking her over as if she were a piece of livestock.

She was strapped down onto a wooden table; her head held in place by a thick leather band. An old, wrinkled man with wispy white hair and gray beard walked slowly over to her, some type of needle in his hand. He stuck the shot into her arm. She screamed and strained at her ties. Two burly men quickly cam over to hold her down and suddenly she was aware of an intense heat overcoming her body; she was on fire.

There was a four-foot midget man standing beside her. The visions vanished.

Black turned to face the hobbit that had approached her and gave him a mocking grin. "Ah, the thorn of my side, you have wriggled your way free at last?"

Frodo looked upon her face glowing in the moonlight with no hint of disgust or fear anywhere visible. It was still somewhat of that wide-eyed look of shock he had on all the time. "What were you thinking, milady?" he asked.

"Lady?" She hadn't heard that in a while. "Nay, I have been no proper 'lady' for quite some time, if ever" she replied. The hobbit made no move.

Enough of this, Black thought. She took out the plain little wooden box she had made to keep the Ring in, and kneeled to be eye-level with the hobbit.

Black reached to grab Frodo's hand. Was that a flicker of fear in the little man's eyes? No, 'twas only a shadow. She grabbed his wrist and pulled it, palm up, toward her. She placed the box into his hand and curled his fingers around it.

"There. I have returned it to you," she said. "Now this thing is your problem. Good luck." Black left.

The next morning Black roamed about the Elven halls in search of the wizard. She was on the verge of giving up when the Ranger, Aragorn, came to fetch her.

"Come with me," he said.

Why, she was about to ask, but she held her tongue and followed.

The Ranger led her to a courtyard of stone, where a ring of elegant chairs encircled a small, empty pedestal. A wise, dark haired elf stood beside what seemed to be the head of the circle. He was deep in conversation with the old wizard.

So this is where the old bat's been hiding, Black thought.

They cut their words short as they saw Aragorn approach with the woman behind him.

"My Lord Elrond," he nodded to the high-eyebrowed elf, "Gandalf." They nodded back.

Fairy formalities, Black silently sighed.

"May I present, Aegnor," Aragorn said, for lack of a better name. Black had no objections. She liked the name Fell-fire. "This is the woman I spoke of earlier," he added. Black, rather Aegnor, pushed back her hood; the shadow it cast over her face no longer needed.

She nodded to the two males, passing quickly over the Elven lord despite his commanding presence, and holding the wizard's eyes intently.

"So you are the one who stole the Ring from Frodo in the wood?" asked the wizard in slow, deliberate phrases.

"Yes," Black answered. "Though had I known at the time of the trouble it would cause me I never would have even dared to look upon it."

They all gazed at her now with expressions of concentration. Black had seen similar looks before; they were trying to understand her 'essence' or 'significance' or something to that effect. She was familiar with the One Ring lore: no one was able to resist its corrupting effects for very long, and most certainly not those of the race of Men, as she appeared to be. Oh, these Middle-earthians, they were so confined to their own little world. She came from a place far, far away; from a time long ago forgotten, and had long since stopped being 'of the race of mortal men.'

"You brought this thing back freely?" the wizard asked. "You have no desire to use this ring for yourself?" The Elf shot him a look, but the old man paid no heed.

"Oh gods, no," Black replied. "That thing has done nothing but cause me trouble since I first slipped it out of that hobbit's pocket. My business resides in a distant realm, where a piece of chanting gold jewelry holds no sway over anything. Except perhaps a gold-digging merchant or two. But I know how vital it is to you...people. I know that whoever holds it decides the fate of your world, and I did not think it my place to do that. So here I am, thanking you for all the kindness you all have shown me, despite my being the hopeless thieving wretch that I am, and asking for your leave to leave this realm, promising to thieve no more whilst I reside in it."

She hadn't strung that many words together in one thought for so long, Black felt herself become sloppy in her speech.

"You are granted it," replied the Elf, "as much as I can give it."

"However," added the wizard (oh no, thought Black), "perhaps she should sit in on the council?"

That sent them into another heated discussion as Black waited by patiently, planning on how to slip away unnoticed, she'd given up on talking to the sorcerer privately, until they reached the conclusion that perhaps she should attend the Council. Aragorn must have told them about the flame-throwing, Black thought. Otherwise what importance would she have?

It took days of sitting around, talking. Black tuned most of it out. They didn't need her help, and she didn't care to give it. Time was slipping by and she desperately needed to return to the others, not that she wanted to, she just had to.

After the last meeting, and the fate of the Ring and its bearer (poor little one-expression Frodo) decided, the wizard came to Black, asking _her_ for a word.

"What are you?" he asked. Black was somewhat taken aback by the bluntness of the man's question, but blunt was good, made things quicker, easier. "You are no Istari, or any thing of Sauron's as I believe it, yet you produce flame from your fingertips. How?"

Black hesitated. Never before had she openly confessed to another being her mutation; her 'uniqueness.' But this is what she had wanted - to talk to this wizard, to see if maybe he could reverse this curse burdened upon her for so long...She told him; but the abridged version.

"I cannot help you," the wizard told her. Black's hopes shattered, and her temper flared.

"Fine," she hissed through gritted teeth. She felt the heat rise in her hands and face, and before she exploded she turned on her heel and stalked off.

Black rolled her cloak up into a ball and hooked it onto her back, and set off from Rivendell, muttering. No one followed.

"Incompetent old fool," she mumbled. "Not even capable of a reversal spell... 'not my type of magic.' Pft." She fried a small patch of grass.

As she ran across the plain, Black brooded on her disappointing meeting. Well, she wasn't really expecting help anyway, she told herself. That was what she was on her way to do now, as a matter of fact. She would find that horribly misguided witch doctor and order him to undo what he had done. Black's passion and anger coursed through her body, spurring her to run even faster. The Old Man. She would find that old man. She could see his face, he would not escape her this time.


	9. Pirate's Lost Port

Chapter 8 - Pirate's Lost Port

In spite of all her efforts to remain conscious, Blue had fallen asleep in the wagon. She dreamed, but the images soon were lost as she was shaken gently awake by Green.

"Wait, no, come back..." Blue mumbled, her head rolling from side to side.

"Wake up," Green prodded kindly. Blue refused to open her eyes; Legolas had been trying to tell her something. "Blue."

"Uh-uh."

"GET UP YOU RUDDY LITTLE FAIRY LOVER! WE'RE HERE!"

Blue threw her hands over her sensitive ears and shot up. Red frowned at her, then as Blue opened her eyes, Red's face broke into a smile.

"Awake now?" she asked, with that stupid, innocent little look on her face. Blue glared at the blonde woman malevolently. _Air-head_, she thought.

Blue shifted her focus now to the land in the distance. She scooted around the barrels in the back of the wagon to sit closer up to the front.

Before them was a small port town. Huts built of wooden planks were crowded closely together for a mile of two it seemed; numerous narrow dirt roads created an elaborate maze around and through the many buildings. At the water's edge stood a vast network of docks, where many ships of various make were moored.

"Welcome to Pirate's Lost Port," said Green.

Blue gaped. She had never seen a real ship before, only in paintings.

"Pirate?" she asked absent-mindedly.

Green sighed. "Let's see...pirates are...well..." she furrowed a brow. "Thieves on boats, basically."

Not more thieves, thought Blue. Anything but that.

Red giggled suddenly.

"What?" demanded Blue, not liking the gleeful glint in Red's eye one bit.

"Pirates," she said, her eyes twinkling.

"Oh, jeez..."

They made their way into the heart of the mini metropolis, Green humming contentedly, nodding occasionally to the passers-by. Red eyed every passing sea-man, Blue could see the blonde woman's excitement growing with each swashbuckler that walked by. Blue was weary. If this town was filled with people like Green, things would be quiet and comfortable, with people going about, minding their own business. Blue could handle that. If the town were filled with people like Red, on the other hand, it'd be a constant contest of slippery fingers, and she imagined there'd be a lot of drinking. Worse still, if they were all like Black...Blue shuddered. She made a mental note to avoid offending these people...she liked her tongue.

Green pulled the cart to a halt outside a large inn, complete with attached livery, known as The Eagle's Nest. As soon as Green stepped down from the driver's seat, a small, wiry boy perhaps ten, stood before prepared to take the horses and wagon to the stables. Green handed over the reins and informed the boy, "I expect to come back and not find any one of these barrels even the slightest bit lighter, understand?" The boy nodded and Green tossed him a few gold pieces. He politely stowed them in a pocket, bowed, and led the horses and cart away.

"My, but that boy has grown," Green mused. "He was only six years and yea high last I saw him." She shrugged and pushed her way though the faded green door. Red was right behind her, Blue followed a little more reluctantly; this might be a good time to flee if she was ever to escape these bandits.

The room was crowded and loud and filled with the smell of smoke, ale, and saltwater. A middle-aged man with a thick head of hair and full brown beard stood behind the bar, wearing an apron and drying a tankard.

"Oy!" he called out suddenly, waving to the party of women. "Jade! Over here!" he waved at Green enthusiastically with his rag; a smile lighting his face from ear to ear.

Green smiled and waved in turn as she made her way passed the tables of sailors. Blue stayed close to Green, she was fairly sure it was not a wise thing to be the lone woman in a place full of drunk, rowdy men. Red, however, was gone. Blue flicked her keen eyes once quickly around the room. The flirtatious blonde had already found her way onto the lap of some clean-shaved, blue-eyed man wearing a similar blue kerchief around his neck. Red said something to one of his companions, and the whole table threw their heads back in laughter.

Green dragged over a stool and plopped onto it and immediately engaged in a conversation with the admittedly good looking bar tender, if beards were your thing.

"Where is your dark friend?" asked the bartender as Green became situated. "The one that likes to sit in the corner and glare out at the crowd from underneath her black hood?"

The man had a sense of humor.

"Off on some errand of her own, I suppose," Green answered, "as she often does. She's supposed to meet us here in a day or two, just before we set sail again."

"Well let us hope that she meets some unexpected traffic along the way, shall we? She has a tendency to chase away well-paying customers," the man's eyes twinkled. "What of that Red woman who was with you before? Is she to meet you here as well?"

"No. Red's here somewhere." Green waved a hand around her head.

"I figured as much," the man replied. He put his elbows on the counter and leaned forward. "But you tell her to keep her twitching fingers out of my customers' pockets, or I'll have to escort her out, just like the last time."

Green chuckled. "Beld."

He smiled again. He had a nice smile.

"How have you been, Jade?" he asked, his eyes intent upon Green's.

Green sighed. "It's been much too long," she replied. Blue shifted uncomfortably on her stool. "Blue," Green said quickly, "why don't you go check on the cart? Make sure no people of questionable nature are hanging about it?" Blue took the hint, nodded, and left the pub.

Once Blue had disappeared through the door, Green met and held Beld's gaze. They said nothing for awhile, until Beld lowered his eyes, picking up another metal mug to dry off.

"How long did you say you were staying?" he asked.

"Two days or so," Green answered. "However long it takes to find a boat. I know there aren't many for sale this time of year."

"Aye," Beld agreed. Lifting his head from the tankard he said, "There's a crew staying here whose captain is rather fond of drink."

"Aye, and every other man within a ten league radius."

"He is also rather fond of cards," he added.

Green grinned. "And I imagine this Captain you speak of doesn't make too good of a gambler?"

Beld grinned back. "He'll be here at eight tomorrow night."

Blue strolled into the livery where the little blue-eyed boy was standing on a step stool to groom one of the large cart horses. The wagon itself was roped off at the back of the barn along with several others. She heard the screech of a sea bird, and decided to go out to the docks.

She walked down the boardwalks, looking the boats over in wonderment. There was a whistle and a shout from behind her, Blue walked faster.

Red loved pubs, and Inns were even better, because Inns had ale and food, and guests with heavy purses. The woman wrapped her arms around the blonde sailor's neck and batted her eyelashes. "I'm thirsty," she said. The man smiled more jovially and shouted across the room.

"Innkeeper! Why is this woman's hand empty? Innkeeper!"

A tall, bearded man soon came striding over and placed a mug of ale in front of Red.

"Watch yer purses, lads," warned the man, "this woman's fingers have a tendency to be slippery." Red glared at him.

"I don't mind her slippery fingers, so long as she don't mind mine," the sailor said, letting his hand slide lower down Red's back. The other men all laughed, and Red giggled girlishly.

"I won't hesitate to throw you out on yer bum, woman," the bearded man whispered in Red's ear. "I did once, and I'll do it again." Red gave him a nasty look before returning her attention to the pretty blonde sailor.


	10. Jade

Chapter 9 - Jade

Without the other two to slow her down, Black was making extraordinarily good time. She was able to take the secret pathways through the mountains that she had not wanted to expose to the Fairy, and she did not need to stop for rest, food, or drink. She was sort of like a camel that way.

Through day and night, sun and rain, she ran tirelessly. She zoned out occasionally, having visions of her ultimate quarry, the old man, bending over his work table; strange colored liquids bubbling in flasks all around.

Black's nerves tingled with anticipation. She knew where the villain was hiding, and for some reason she felt closer to him than she had in an uncountable number of years, despite the fact an entire ocean lay between them.

She suddenly ran into something hard and fell flat on her back, jerking out of her latest trance. Slowly, Black rose to her feet. Where had this forest come from? Black paused to look around. She was at the edge of a forest, Mirkwood no doubt; behind her were the mountains she had just come from, and to her left and right were endless rolling plains. Turning to the left, Black sighed and started off again.

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Green sat talking to Beld the Barkeep all afternoon, until just before dusk when the Inn became extremely full, and he did not have much time to stay in one place.

Blue had come back in at some point and was sitting quietly at a table by herself in the back. Red had made her rounds around the room, paying no heed to Beld or Green's warning that any stealing would see her quickly out on the street on her butt. Currently Red sat in between two rough men with short scraggly goatees and red bandannas. Blue kept an eye on Red the whole time, noticing how swiftly her hand slipped in and out of men's pockets, into her own.

As the sun set over the water, the guests slowly trickled out, until Blue, Green, and Red were the only ones left. The three women gathered at the bar to get a room. A young girl came out from the kitchens, dressed in plain brown skirts, to show them upstairs.

"Wait one moment please, Kara," Beld said.

"Yes, Uncle Beld," she curtsied and stepped back to let Beld by.

The man fixed his eyes on Red, who stared blankly back.

"Empty yer pockets, woman," he said.

"What?" Red asked innocently. Beld raised an eyebrow, clearly not amused. "Fine," Red spat. She began to turn out her pockets, exposing mostly lint, and the occasional odd trinket or two. "Happy?" she said.

"Thank you," Beld replied, closing his big hand around the two rings and several copper coins Red had handed over.

Red snorted, and stomped upstairs to the rooms, the little girl chasing after her.

"I guess we'd better head up too," Green said. "Goodnight, Beld. Come, Blue." The two other women then followed Red and the little girl to their room.

"Is that your real name? Jade?" Blue asked once they had gotten settled in their room, which, curiously, contained only two beds.

"I'm not sharing!" Red declared, throwing herself down upon the far mattress.

"Yes, though Beld is one of the only ones who use it," Green answered quietly. "You can have the bed," she said. "I'd prefer the floor."

"Alright." Blue sat down on the other bed and pulled off her weather beaten cloak.

Green laid out a sheet and a pillow on the floor before the dresser as her bed and then laid down herself. She stayed there a few minutes on her back, gazing on the ceiling, then got up quickly. "I'll be back," she said, then left the room.

"Red?" asked Blue.

"Hm?"

"Who is that Beld fellow? He's more than a barkeeper, isn't he?"

Red rolled over on her side. "Oh, yeah," she said casually, "he's Green's lover." Blue then heard Red begin to snore and knew that the blonde woman had fallen asleep. Blue slipped underneath the covers and it was not long until she too was asleep and dreaming.

Green stepped lightly down the hall, her heart beating faster with every step. It had been years since she'd seen him. Would he still want her? she wondered. He was not married, so that gave her reason to believe that he was still waiting for her. She halted in front of the door at the end of the hall and raised her hand to knock, but then let it fall silently to her side as the door creaked open before her.

"Jade?"

Beld stood in the dark doorway, shirtless, and with a dagger in hand.

"That blade's not for me, I hope," Green whispered.

Beld looked down at his hand, shook his head, placed the knife on a dresser and waved Green in. She stepped quietly inside and disappeared behind the closing door.


	11. Driftwood

Chapter 10 - Driftwood

Blue rose to see that Green had not returned the previous night. Red continued to snore soundly as Blue rinsed her face with the water pitcher left in the room. She lamented not being able to drench herself in it.

When Blue arrived in the pub on the first floor she found Green sitting at the bar, talking to Beld, and smiling. She had shed her cloak and traded it for worn leather breeches and leather jerkin with a white billowy shirt underneath. One large silver hoop earring hung from her right ear, and her long ebony hair hung loose down her back. She still carried her emerald sword at her side.

Green caught sight of Blue and waved her over.

"Hungry?" she asked, sliding a plate of food in front of Blue.

"Thank you," Blue murmured.

"Red still asleep?" Green guessed. Blue nodded. "Ah, well. She'll come down once she smells the fresh bread and realizes she hasn't eaten in eight hours."

Suddenly Blue heard someone fumble down the stairs. Red soon appeared, hair all disheveled and eyes out of focus. "Where's the food?" she demanded. Blue and Green laughed simultaneously.

Green marched down the docks with an authoritative ether about her that Blue had never sensed before. She strutted along, the wooden planks echoing the sound of her firm booted steps, with Red and Blue trailing along on either side, like a set of henchmen.

Green's jet black hair fanned out behind her as she made her way toward a row of medium sized cargo ships.

"I'm sorry, Miss," said a rather round, dirty man, stepping in front of Green. "This dock is off-limits."

Green paused to look down her nose at this little man who dared to cross her path. She cocked her head to look at him through the corner of eye, then faced him squarely, with a hand on the hilt of her sword.

"Off limits?" she asked. "To whom?"

"These are merchant ships, my lady," the man began to explain, "and no one not involved in the business of said merchants is allowed beyond this point."

"What is your name?" Green asked after a moment's contemplation.

"Gregg," answered the man.

"Tell me, Gregg," she said his name with a hint of distaste, "do you know all of the merchants who pass through this port? Can you name and recognize every single one?"

Gregg hesitated. "No," he admitted.

"Then how do you know that I am not one of them?" Green demanded.

"I...uh..." stammered Gregg.

"Do you stop me only because I am a woman?"

"No, my lady, of course not. I..."

"Then why do you hinder me?"

"This place is crawlin' with thieves and scoundrels, my lady, and..."

"So I am a thief and a scoundrel now?"

The little man was clearly very rattled; beads of sweat formed at his temples and made streaks in the dirt on his face as they rolled down past his eyes.

"No, lady, I didn't mean..."

One of the men that had been directing business farther along on the dock noticed the presence of Green and her companions, and the effect they were having on the deck guard, so he set aside what he was doing and strode over.

"Now, now," he said. "What seems to be the trouble here?"

He was tall and thin, with black wavy hair and a neatly trimmed black goatee. He had deep blue eyes set in a tanned, chiseled face with a sharp nose and thin mouth. He had a small gold hoop dangling from one earlobe and a gold stud with an inlaid ruby on the upper part. He carried a slender, lightweight sword at his side, and wore knee-high sleek black boots, tan suede pants, and an airy white shirt with a fine, leather vest over top. He flashed a dazzling smile, exposing one gold tooth.

"Oh," Red goggled.

"Your deck rat here," Green said, seemingly unaffected by the man's physical charm, "is denying me passage onto this dock on the basis that I am a woman, thief, and scoundrel."

"Oh, well, now," said the man. "That can't be right, can it?" He continued to smile. "I'm sure Gregg here just did not realize who you were." He turned toward Green. "It is truly an honor to have you among us, Lady Jade." He bowed deeply.

"Thank you, George," replied Green, the faintest hint of a smile creeping onto her face. "You need not bow," she added.

"Oh, but indeed I must!" George exclaimed. "For I must be blessed beyond all bounds to be in the presence of the great Lady Jade; sorceress of the high seas, most fierce female pirate ever to walk this good earth!"

"Oh shut up you cad," Green demanded. "I have business to discuss with you."

George laughed haughtily. "Of course!" he cried. "Right this way!"

George led the three women down the dock, past several large ships loading and unloading crates, and halted about half way down the landing.

"Now, the two of you I know," George said, nodding to Green and Red, "but your face is new to me." He looked at Blue.

"She is called Blue," Green informed him.

"That's what _they_ call me," Blue muttered.

George cocked an eyebrow, then bent slightly at the waist. "It is a pleasure, my lady," he said, pressing his lips to Blue's fingers.

"Careful who you sweet talk, George," Green warned, "this one's spoken for."

Blue shot Green a horrified look. Why did they keep bringing up her relationship with Legolas? Oh, Legolas...

"Sweet talk?" George said, straightening. "It is a sad day indeed when greeting a lady courteously is considered sweet talk."

"Yes, well, I know you George," Green replied. "And I am inclined to question most of your intentions."

"Speaking of intentions," George said, ignoring Green's comment, "I believe you had something to discuss with me?"

"I'm looking for a ship. Know of any for hire?"

"No beating around the bush, I see."

Green shrugged.

"Well," George mused, scanning the ships. "None are for sale, at the moment," he said.

"You know a man named Harlow?" Green asked.

"I've heard of him," George said.

"I heard he might be looking to trade in his ship. Which one's his?"

George raised a speculative eyebrow. He turned to the side and waved a hand, indicating the last ship in the quay. Green exchanged a look with her pirate friend, then marched down to the implied boat.

"This?" Green demanded, clearly appalled. "This piece of _driftwood_?" It was George's turn to shrug. Even Blue, who was the least adept at ship appraisal, could see that this boat was lacking. It leaned horribly to one side, the sails were tattered and torn, and there was a strong stench wafting through the air.

"I ain't getting on _that _thing," Red said.

"Excuse me," Green asked George, the agitation in her voice clear. As she started to leave, George stopped her.

"One more thing, before I forget," he said. "Some man in uniform was looking for Red back at Saltfort. Well, he said a tall, blonde woman with a big mouth and a red cloak. I assumed he must have been talking about Red."

"What about Red?" Red asked.

"I'll keep that in mind," Green said as she turned on her heel and stomped off.

"What about Red?!" repeated Red, running after her.

Green sat at the bar, hunched over a mug of ale, waiting for Beld the Barkeep. When he finally did take a moment to pause between rushing food and ale to various customers, the emerald eyed woman set her tankard down and said coolly;

"What are you trying to pull?"

"Pull?" Beld asked, his face the picture of perfect innocent confusion.

"Don't give me that," Green warned. "If there's one thing I've learned by spending so much time with that Hell-fire woman, it's how to tell when people are hiding something."

Beld's eyes darted to the floor, then quickly back up to Green.

"That gambling Captain Harlow's boat of yours was in pieces. Seriously," she let out an exasperated puff of air, "I'd think you were trying to get me to buy into that dinghy just so I'd be around for a few months trying to make it sea worthy again."

"Oh, I don't think it was that bad," Beld said, stuffing a cloth inside a silver flagon.

"It was listing so far to the starboard side I don't know how it hasn't capsized," Green retorted.

"Are you sure it wasn't just the way the waves were forcing it to lean like that?" Beld asked.

"The sails are practically nonexistent," Green went on.

"You can replace sails easy..."

"Deck boards were coming loose..."

"Find some nails..."

"Not to mention the thing reeks and is infested with rats _and _termites..."

"Well, you're gonna have varmints no matter what you do."

Green gave him a dirty look and raised her mug to her lips. "Oh, and it leaks," she added, before taking a swig. Beld shrugged.

"Can't blame me for trying."

Just then the doors to the tavern burst open and Red appeared, gently back-lit by the setting sun, and with hands on hips, she questioned the crowd;

"So, who's buying the first round?" A cheer went up from the pirates as Red marched in and found a place to sit among a crew of miscreants wearing worn blue bandannas. There were immediately three mugs of ale placed in front of her.


	12. The Thieves' Concert aka, the One With A...

Chapter 11 - The Thieves' Concert (a.k.a., The One With All The Singing)

**A/N: **Just so you know, the wine mentioned later, Berdruskan Dark, is a sweet Elven wine with a very HIGH alcohol content.

Also, please forgive me, there will be much singing in the latter half of this chapter. A LOT. None of the songs, however, are original. The majority is Garth Brooks, there's a Brooks & Dunn in there, Alan Jackson, Terri Clark, and Gretchen Wilson. If you don't like Garth Brooks, or any country for that matter, you might find it kind of painful. I know songs written in their entirety can be annoying, but these are meant to be funny, and some of them are only written partially. Please just humor me and enjoy!

Okay, so here it is, The One With All The Singing:

The next day Green went scouting for a ship. George, the prince of the pirates, had told her none were up for sale, but thieves were always up for bargaining. She had dragged Blue along with her. Black had given her explicit instructions not to let Blue wander off on her own too much while at the port. Green had to agree, she knew these people; grew up with these types of ruffians. In Green's eyes, Blue had lived a relatively sheltered life, and to leave her alone with a bunch of drunk, lonely pirates was virtually murder.

Green strutted down the various boardwalks, with the wind in her hair and her silver earring bouncing merrily. She inhaled the salty sea air. It was good to be back.

Suddenly something caught her eye, and she snapped her head to the left. There it was: her ship. She lengthened her stride as the wind whipped at her hair more eagerly.

"Hey, wait up!" Blue called.

Green didn't stop until she was facing the finely crafted vessel. She ran a keen eye over the body, the masts, sails. A dragon's head jutted out from the prow, jaw agape and nostrils flared. The Dragonfire.

"I always knew you had good taste," whispered a voice in her ear. Green turned to see George smiling down at her.

"How much you want for her?" Green demanded. George laughed.

"That one's my own, personal flagship, Jade," he said, "if you've forgotten. She's not for sale."

"Pity," Green remarked. "I guess that means it'll cost me extra."

George raised an eyebrow. "The Dragonfire is not for sale," he repeated.

Green smiled at him knowingly. "George," she sighed. "You and I both know that you can buy _anything _if the bid is high enough."

"You couldn't find enough gold if you robbed every high-roller in the entire port," George replied.

Green smiled again and pulled out a brown leather pouch. She loosened the laces and dumped the contents out into her hand. George's eyes went wide. In her hand were multiple precious gems and one extremely rare opal among a handful of gold coins.

"And there's more where that came from," Green said.

"Where did you get this?" George asked, picking up the opal and fingering it. Green grinned mischievously.

"You willing to talk now?"

George eyed the lady pirate skeptically. "Who'd you steal this from? I'm wanted by enough angry mobs of nobles as it is."

"They don't even know this port exists," Green assured him. "And as long as you don't venture inland trying to spend it you have nothing to worry about."

George gave Green back the opal. "No," he said. "One opal and some gold coins aren't going to cut it."

"And what _would_ cut it, oh mighty Prince of Thieves?" Green demanded, returning the gems to the pouch.

George shook his head. "I'm not selling the Dragonfire."

"Two opals, a hundred gold coins, and another four hundred in gems," Green said.

"No," George asserted.

"Three opals." George shook his head again. "Come on, George. That's enough to buy two ships _better_ than this dinghy!"

George cocked his head apprehensively.

"And a barrel of the finest Elven wine."

"What kind of wine?"

Green smiled. "Berdruskan Dark."

"Done."

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Black trudged along the shoreline, the numerous trinkets hanging from her belts clinked in the breeze along with the many weapons strapped to her back. She couldn't wait to finally get off her feet for awhile. It wouldn't be too much longer until she reached the hidden port. Hopefully Green was able to find a suitable ship. Black didn't doubt Green's abilities, she was just worried that Blue or Red, especially Red, had done something to foul things up.

When the light from the port's lanterns could be seen in the distance Black slowed to a walk. She smiled with the thought of leaving this fairy-ridden realm and going far away, across the sea. Her eyes glinted deviously as she thought of the revenge she would wreak upon the old witch doctor; the man who had cursed her for eternity, the sick, twisted, manipulator of nature.

There was one thing she did not understand, however. She was sure he knew that she was coming for him; he always had before, with that miserable scrying mechanism of his. She could sense when he was moving and when he stayed put, but it was only when he stayed in one place for a long stretch of time that she could discern exactly where he was. That was another part of his plan that backfired. He had meant for him to be able to track Black wherever she went, except he miscalculated some part of it and Black was endowed with the ability to sense _his _whereabouts, to an extent.

The old man was aware of his follies now, after Black had come after him several times and explained them to him. But every time she found him he had escaped her, and up 'til recently he kept constantly on the move, for the most part.

But this time the old man was playing with fire, literally.

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There was a festival of some kind in the square that night. The sounds of laughter and music floated into the bar, which was empty but for the three cloaked women.

"Please," Red whined. "I wanna go. Please, can we go?"

"We're setting sail in the morning, Red," Green said.

"So?" Red demanded. "You know you want to. Please? Please? Can't I go, at least? Pleeeeease."

Green sighed. "I guess it couldn't hurt," she said, pushing her stool back from the counter.

"You two can go, I think I'll just stay here," said Blue, not rising.

"Oh no you don't," Green said through gritted teeth. "If I gotta go you're coming too. I'm not letting you out of my sight so long as we're in Pirate's Port."

"Yippee!" Red cheered, rushing out the door like an excited two-year old.

Blue sighed, frustrated. "Why must _I _go? I have no interest in any thieves' party." Green ignored the water woman's protest and dragged her out the door behind her.

The square was decorated with various banners and flags depicting individual captains' colors. There was a makeshift stage placed at the west edge of the square where a group of minstrels should have been, and brightly shining lanterns hung from poles all around.

No one was out on the dance floor, probably because there was no music. Instead they were all gathered in groups, eating, drinking and joking. Many men's arms were wrapped around women's waists, their hands wandering ever so slowly downward.

Red surveyed the scene with hands on hips as Blue thought of how much she detested festivals. At least she wouldn't be forced to dance. Perhaps they had cake.

Red shook her head and 'tisk tisked.' "This is horrible!" she exclaimed. "Where's the music?"

Blue looked at Red skeptically.

"This is no festival!" Red went on. "I think this party needs a little livening up, don't you, Green?"

"Most definitely," agreed Green.

Blue shot a nervous, somewhat paranoid look at Green. They weren't going to go up there, were they?

Red began pushing her way through the crowd, Green following.

"What are you doing?" Blue hissed.

"Come on, Blue," Green said, taking hold of Blue's wrist and dragging her along behind.

"What? No!" Blue desperately tried to pry her wrist loose from Green's iron grip. "I am no minstrel! I am NOT singing!"

"Don't worry," Green assured Blue. "We did a stint as traveling troubadours a while back. You have nothing to worry about. Play an instrument, by any chance?"

"No," Blue seethed.

"Oh, no matter. There's nothing wrong with winging it."

Blue looked at Green in horror as she and Red took off their cloaks and threw them off to the side, then picked up a few instruments.

"Here," Green handed Blue a round piece of wood with numerous thin silver disks embedded all around it. "Just bang on this with your palm in time to the beat. You can sing along with the songs you know."

"What? No." Blue was becoming more panicky by the second. This was one of the last places she wanted to be.

"Don't worry," Green assured her. "These people are really too drunk to notice how good your voice is anyway."

"I'm not..." but Blue was cut off as Green turned to face the crowd along with Red.

"Can I have your attention, please?" Green called out over the festival goers. No one even so much as twitched. Green glanced at Red and the two women exchanged a wry smile.

Red readjusted the instrument hanging around her neck (think guitar), and as the wind swirled up around them, she belted out the first word in her loudest nasal wail.

"Looonng..." she began.

"Looonng..." Green echoed. Then together they sang;

"Longneck bottle! Let go of my hand!"

The crowd as a whole immediately looked up in their direction.

"Hey jukebox don't start playing that song again! 'Cause there's a girl at home who loves me. You know she won't understand. Longneck bottle! Let go of my hand!"

The people in the audience cheered and raised up their mugs. "You've got to be kidding me," Blue mumbled.

Green continued to strum her guitar while Red went on wailing the rest of the song in a twangy sort of sound.

"Hey barroom mirror on the wall, go stare at someone else!

Don't show the world, the fool I am

Just keep it to yourself!

Longneck bottle! Let go of my hand!"

"Let go!" Green chided as they lapsed into the interlude. At the neck verse the crowd cheered again as Red did a little bit of a two-step.

"Dance floor seems you're underneath my feet

Everywhere I turn!

I oughta waltz right out of them swingin' doors

But that's a step I just can't learn.

Longneck bottle!

Let go of my hand!"

The people yelled and screamed their approval, though Blue highly doubted they had understood half the song. Blue herself never understood the thieves' crazy songs much.

A few people had moved out to the dance floor, but not nearly enough in Red's mind.

"What do we hafta do to get these people dancin'?" Green demanded, reading Red's mind.

"I don't know!" Red answered. "I thought they were all drunk enough to boot scootin' boogie without any music at all!"

Red shifted quickly to a drum set that seemed to appear out of nowhere, and banged on it with exuberant enthusiasm as Green twanged her guitar.

"Out in the country

Past the city limit sign

There's a honky-tonk

Near the county line

The joint starts jumpin' every night

When the sun goes down!

They got whiskey and women (a cheer from the men in the crowd)

Music and smoke!

It's where all the cowboy folk go

To Boot Scoot an' Boogie!

I got a good job

I work hard for my money (Red winks)

When it's quittin' time

I hit the door runnin'

I fire up my pick-up truck

And let the horses run!

I go flyin' down that Highway!

To that hide-a-way

Stuck out in the woods

To do the Boot Scootin' Boogie!

Well, heel, toe

Docy doe!

Come on baby, let's go

Boot Scootin'

Oh, cadillac, blackjack

Baby meet me out back

We're gonna boogie!

Get down, turn around

Go to town!

Boot Scootin Boogie!

Bartender asks me,

Says 'son, what'll it be?'

I want a shot of that redhead yonder

Lookin' at me!"

Red threw her head back and laughed. In spite of herself, Blue felt the beginnings of a smile play at the edges of her mouth as well. This was actually kind of fun, curse them.

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Black heard them singing; the music and the voices carried along on the wind to her ears. Black shook her head. Red was the cause of it, undoubtedly. They were lucky she was in a good mood, otherwise their random concert would have caused Black's temper to flare.

"Har - riet! Won't you put her on the line, I gotta talk to the girl just one more time!"

Red was singing one of the thieves' favorites. Black had to smile. Red may be an idiot, the dark woman thought, but she's an entertaining idiot.

The streets were virtually empty when Black entered the miniature city; all the citizens attending the festival most likely. As she made her way deeper, to the heart of the port town, Red's voice grew in intensity. The increased volume was Green's gift. She was a manipulator of the wind, much as Black was a manipulator of fire. Whatever it was that Green did, she made Red's naturally loud voice come out almost deafening.

The song Red was singing as Black neared the square was not as fast paced as the previous, but it still was one of Red's favorites.

"It makes you wonder:

Who's cheatin' who?

Who's bein' true?

Who don't even care anymore?

Who's doin' right,

By someone tonight?

Who's cart is parked next door?"

Black had taught Red numerous songs during their travels together. Sometimes Black wasn't sure that was such a good idea, but when she saw Red up on stage, belting them out to a cheering crowd, it was quite amusing. Red didn't even know what half of the songs were talking about. Her favorites were mostly the ones she did understand, the ones with liquor, men, or stealing. The best were the ones when the woman steals another woman's man, or when the one man steals another man's girlfriend, so the first man goes to a bar and drinks himself stupid. Black always thought they were Red's favorites because they reminded Red of herself. It wasn't too far from the truth.

Black slipped in behind the crowd, doing her best at remaining unseen. Hers was not the best reputation in town. She leaned back against a wall of one of the surrounding buildings and watched for awhile from a slight distance.

Red sang a song entitled _Big Money_, about a man who came into a fortune when his rich, but risky, relatives died on the job.

"Well, now the moral of this story, boys, is don't go getting yourself killed

Be kind to your rich relatives, they might just put you in their will."

Black nodded to herself. She remembered Freddie, his older brother Tommy, and late uncle Charlie.

"It pays big money and we're all into that

It pays big money and big money's where it's at

Let me tell you something, sonny, you ought to see my bank account

It pays big money, and we're rolling in it now!"

Red's face always lit up at the last two phrases. If only Red knew the story was true.

"It pays big money, having foolish kin

It pays big money, guess I owe it all to them

Let me show you something, sonny, take a look at this bank account

It pays big money, let's all spend some of it now!"

Black could see Red laugh to herself as Green added a few lines as the music faded out.

"How much for that loaf of bread?" she asked. "Can you break a hundred dollar bill? It's all I got. A lot of 'em."

Black hadn't noticed at first, but as her eyes wandered around, she spied Blue up on stage, attempting to hide behind Red and Green. She wasn't singing, but tapping a tambourine, though reluctantly.

At the song's end, Red and Green took a break from their routine to ask requests of the audience.

"Come on!" Red called. "You gotta have one!"

Black could hear crickets.

"No one? None at all?"

Black could resist the urge no longer. She stealthily crept toward the stage, shedding her cloak, belts and weapons pack, and picked up a guitar.

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Red was breathing heavily and beads of sweat were beginning to form at her temples when she finished singing the beer song. She could think of no more songs that she knew the all the words to. Black had tons more, she knew, but Red couldn't sing them without Black being there. Thus it frustrated Red even more when the stinking pirates couldn't offer her any suggestions.

"What about that one song?" Blue whispered. "That you all sang the night in the pub in Bree? About friends in low places?"

Red shook her head quickly. "Can't do that one," she said. "That's Black's song. We can't sing that without Black."

"Why not?" Blue demanded. "Just because it's 'her' song?"

"You don't understand," Red interrupted anxiously, "Black _is_ the low place."

Before Blue could voice her confusion she heard four solitary notes being strummed on a guitar. All three woman, and the crowd as well, turned to watch the stage steps, where the sound had appeared to come from.

The notes were repeated as a pair of leather boots, followed by a woman in travel worn breeches, stepped up the stairs.

"Blame it all on my roots," she sang, walking to the front of the stage, "I showed up in boots (she swung her leg up and planted her booted foot on a stool ), and ruined your black-tie affair."

The people in the square remained utterly silent. They were all thinking, but were not sure, of the woman's identity.

"The last one to show, the last one to know, I was the last one you thought you'd see here," she went on. "And I saw the surprise, and the fear in your eyes, as I took up this guitar and played. But, honey, I sing to you, say 'honey, we may be through, but you'll never hear me complain!"

Blue noted the few alterations in the words before Red and Green joined Black and the crowd burst into applause.

"'Cause I got friends in low places

Where the whiskey drowns

Ad the beer chases my blues away

And I'll be okay

I'm not big on social graces

Think I'll slip on down

To the oasis

'Cause I've got friends

In low places!

Well I guess I was wrong

I just don't belong

But then, I've been there before

Everything's all right

I'll just say goodnight

And I'll show myself to the door

Hey I didn't mean

To cause a big scene

Just give me an hour and then

Well I'll be as high as that ivory tower

That you're livin' in!

'Cause I got friends in low places

Where the whiskey drowns

And the beer chases my blues away

And I'll be okay..."

As the commoners cheered and repeated the chorus several times, Blue sidled up behind Black.

"You sure took your sweet time," she hissed.

"I would say the same to you," Black replied through gritted teeth. "You were supposed to be out to sea by now."

Blue would have continued to argue, but due to their current situation, a prolonged conversation was not realistic. While Blue talked to Black, Red's often muddled brain began to turn, and suddenly she remembered another song. Just as 'Friends in Low Places' had been Black's song, this next one was _hers_.

"I'm a whiskey-drinking, straight-shootin' double fisted son of a gun!" Red called out, strolling along the stage. "I wear my jeans a little tight just to watch the little boys come undone! I've been waiting all week long just to have a good time. So bring on them cowboys, and their pick-up lines!" Red swayed her hips ever so slightly as she strutted, her red leather pants more than illustrating her words. There were a few shouts and a couple cat-calls from the less sober men.

Red came around again to face the people in the square as she continued.

"I'm here for the party!

And I'm not leaving 'til they throw me out

I'm gonna have a little fun

Gonna, get me some

You know I'm here!"

Red made a few more passes around the stage and Black sighed. How fitting, she thought. It was like Red's own personal anthem. The song after that was done by Black.

"I'm a red-neck woman

I ain't no high class broad

I'm just the product of my raisin'

I say 'hey y'all' and 'yee-haw!'"

And it continued in much the same fashion.

After that, the thieves began to play a song in which they all took turns singing.

**Red**: "She says she can't go out tonight again

Her sister's sick, she's gotta baby-sit,

Yeah, that sounds like a pretty good excuse

Well you didn't hear any of this from me,

But things aren't always what they seem

Brace yourself! This may come as a shock to you!

Girls lie too!"

The women in the audience yelled and cheered their approval as Red moved into the chorus.

**Red: **"We don't care how much money you make

What you drive or what you weigh

Size don't matter, anyway!"

There was a collective uncomfortable shift in weight among the men in the audience.

**Blue** (under force from Red): "We can't wait to hear about your round of golf

Love to see deer heads hanging on the wall..." she refused to do the last line.

**All:** Girls lie too!

**Red:** Other guys never cross our minds

We don't wonder what it might be like

How could it be any better than it is with you?

**All:** Girls lie too! _Chorus_

**Black:** Old blood-stained clothes turn us on

We like your friends, and we _love_ your mom

And that's the truth

**All:** Girls lie too! _Chorus_.

**Green** (as song fades): No, we don't care how much hair you have. Yeah, come it over like that. Grrrrowl.

The women laughed at the uncomfortable looks on the men's faces. Red was particularly enjoying it, having thought up a considerable portion of the song herself.

The next songs were rodeo songs. Black had been a rodeo rider in earlier days, and most of these songs were true stories, but altered slightly to fit better into song; and to not make others suspicious of their ties to her.

"His eyes are cold and restless

His wounds have almost healed

She'd give half of Texas, just to change the way he feels

Well she knows his love's in Tulsa

She knows he's gonna go

Well it ain't no woman, flesh and blood

It's that damned old Rodeo."

Black had to fight to suppress rising memories.

"It's the bulls and the blood

The dust and mud

It's the roar of a Sunday crowd

It's the white in his knuckles, the gold in the buckle

He'll win the next go 'round

It's boots and shafts, it's cowboy hats

It's spurs and a latigo

it's the ropes and the reins, the joy and the pain

And they call the thing Rodeo!"

As she strummed her guitar she closed her eyes and she could smell the dirt of the arena floor.

"She does her best to hold him

When his love comes to call

But his need for it controls him

And her back's against the wall

And it's so long girl, I'll see you

When it's time for him to go

You know the woman wants her cowboy

Like he wants his Rodeo!"

She could hear him pleading, 'please don't go.' But the wild horses just kept dragging her away.

"It's the bulls and the blood

The dust and mud

It's the roar of a Sunday crowd

It's the white in his knuckles, the gold in the buckle

He'll win the next go 'round

It's boots and shafts, it's cowboy hats

It's spurs and a latigo

It's the ropes and the reins, the joy and the pain

And they call the thing Rodeo!

It'll drive a cowboy crazy

It'll drive him insane

And he'll sell off everything he owns

Just to pay to play the game

And a broken home and some broken bones

Is all he'll have to show

For all the years he's been chasin'

This dream they call Rodeo!

It's the bulls and the blood

The dust and mud

It's the roar of a Sunday crowd

It's the white in his knuckles, the gold in the buckle

He'll win the next go 'round

It's boots and shafts, it's cowboy hats

It's spurs and a latigo

it's the ropes and the reins, the joy and the pain

And they call the thing Rodeo!

It's the broncs and the blood

The steers and the mud

And they call the thing Rodeo!"

The crowd cheered again between songs. Black took a few moments to catch her breath and keep the memories that threatened to flood her mind at bay. Soon she became caught up again in the thrill of being on stage, the distraction from the real world it gave. She grinned as she caught Green's and Red's eyes.

"Fever," she whispered. They returned the smile.

"Well he's a got a split finger wrap and his rope pulled way too tight

He's got a lunatic smile 'cause he's really drunk deep tonight!"

The pace was much faster than the previous numbers of the evening, and Red was jumping around the stage with renewed energy, bobbing her head and strumming the guitar. The lunatic smile was also on her face as Black sang.

"He's got a fever! Fever! Fever! Fever! Hey!

Well grab a hold on anything and hold on tight!

He'll hit ya like the venom from a rattlesnake bite

We're all here, 'cause he's not all there, tonight!"

At the brief pause between verses Black did a little dancing to match Red, and as she did so she spotted the pirate king, George, standing in the shadows at the back of the crowd. Black took a breath and went on.

"He takes one last breath and time turns inside out!

The gate busts open to the world he dreams about!

He's got a fever! Fever! Fever! Fever!

Hey strap a rope onto anything 'cause he don't care

He'll even take a ride in an electric chair

We're all here, 'cause he's not all there, tonight.

He says it's really kind of simple

Keep your mind in the middle

While your butt spins 'round and 'round! (Black gyrated her hips in a few quick circles)

Take heed to the raider's preachin'

Keep lifting and reaching (Black thrust a hand up into the air)

And ridin' like there ain't no clowns!"

At the interlude all the women, excluding a disgusted Blue, jumped around the stage exuberantly, laughing all the while.

"Well he knows it might kill him, but he's got no choice

He's a different breed, with a voice down deep inside

Screamin' he was born to ride

He's got a fever! Fever! Fever! Fever! Fever!

Fever makes you crazy, 'cause it makes no sense

Like runnin' from your shadow out of self-defense

Well he won't run, and baby he can't hide

He thinks the odds a re even leavin' one hand tied

He gets so tired of hanging on so tight

I know you think he's crazy, well I think you're right!

We're all here, 'cause he's not all there, that's right!"

That should have been the end of it, but the people screamed for more, and who were they to deny the good people? So Black struck up another rodeo tune. Black realized too late, however, that this song was a mistake. It dragged with it memories that she could not hold back.

"For change I headed south across the border

For the pesos and a different horse to ride

I'd be back for the rodeo in Waco

But that was long before I saw them dark brown eyes..."

The man, the gypsy, the forbidden, stood there before her. She had been infatuated with him since the moment she saw him. He didn't speak her language, however, and she spoke little of his.

"With long black hair and English bad and broken

Her body said the words she couldn't find

As I hung on every word she left unspoken

The question started leaning on my mind..."

Black was headed to the rodeo to ride, in disguise, but ran into the gray-eyed man before arriving. She felt she had to leave, but his gaze held her to where she was, and she so much wanted to run to him. He stared at her in turn, falling for her more every second her deep brown eyes lingered on him.

"Rodeeeeoooooo-oo-ooooo or Mexico?

They both can keep a cowboy satisfied

Rodeeeeoooooo-oo-ooooo or Mexico?

The only way I know how to decide

Is just get up and ride..."

They could see the desperation and the longing in each others' eyes. So, against all that she had been raised to believe, all that she had been taught, Black cursed it all and went to him. They spoke no words. They were not needed.

"We danced all night beneath that sheet of cotton

And you just don't tell a girl like that goodbye

But the cowboy life ain't easily forgotten

Though lying there I couldn't help but wonder why..."

She had never felt so invigorated, so alive. He would kill her if he found her here, lying next to this dirty wanderer, but he was safely away on business some hundred miles away.

"Rodeeeeoooooo-oo-ooooo or Mexico?

They both can keep a cowboy satisfied

Rodeeeeoooooo-oo-ooooo or Mexico?

The only way I know how to decide

Is just get up and ride

Let me up and ride..."

To her horror, he came back early. He held a knife to her lover's throat as he glared at her and yelled. She felt extreme sorrow, pity, for the gypsy, slowly realizing what was happening, not needing to understand the words being furiously thrown.

"The morning found the answer dawning on me

As I woke up to the sharp edge of a knife

He was screaming at the woman hanging on me

Does anybody know the Spanish word for wife?"

She got a beating that night, surpassing all other whippings she had ever received before. Despite the pain, she smiled. She'd spited them all. They had said revenge was bittersweet, but Black had found it quite satisfying.

"Rodeeeeoooooo-oo-ooooo or Mexico?

They both can keep a cowboy satisfied

Rodeeeeoooooo-oo-ooooo or Mexico?

The only way I know how to decide

Is just get up and ride

Crawl on up and ride..."

**A/N:** Again, please forgive the length of this chapter, and the unending number of songs. I just started writing and couldn't stop. It won't happen again, probably, but you know I really can't make any promises...

Chapter 12 -

After the party had finally died down, the women returned to The Eagle's Nest for rest and bed, and in Red's case, beer. Green entered the tavern with little response from the other occupants, drunkards, merry-makers, party-ers. When Red burst through the doors, throwing them open with a loud crack, the room exploded in cheers and shouts of 'Red!' as they all raised their mugs into the air. They settled down and went back to talking excitedly to one another as Blue entered behind Red.

Then as Black appeared after the blue woman, the room went deathly silent. Each man's eyes darted anxiously toward the dark woman, her face hidden inside the inky shadows of her hood. The bar was filled with an uneasy stillness as all the patrons were suddenly struck dumb by fear. No one dared move.

"You'd think they've never seen a servant of Death before," Black whispered, barely audible even to Blue's sensitive ears.

Other than that, she ignored the mortal men's paltry fear and quickly shifted, much as a shadow would, toward the bar. After a few eternal moments, the room lapsed into quiet conversation once again.

"Servant of Death?" Blue asked. "Think highly of ourselves, do we?"

A voice from the black pit of the woman's hood answered, soft and far-away. "You're not familiar with the term 'servant,' are you?"

Beld the Barkeep came and quickly deposited a mug of ale before Blue and Black, before nervously dashing off again. Black sighed, and pulled down her hood. Taking the tankard by the handle, she took a swig of the sweet liquor. Alas, it had lost its tang and magic long ago.

Blue was about to say something, but then totally forgot it when she caught a glimpse of Black's face as she took a drink. The water woman gasped.

"What happened to your face?" she demanded. Black looked at her out of the corner of her eye as she set the mug down again. "I mean, it hasn't always been like that, has it?" Blue added, realizing how her words must have sounded. She was not helping herself.

"As long as you've known me," Black replied.

"They're appalling," Blue said.

"Gee, thanks," said Black.

"No, I meant appalling as in dreadful, not appalling as in disgusting," Blue added. "Though they are that as well."

"Stop," Black demanded. "If you dig any farther you'll fall out on the other side of the world."

"I'm sorry," Blue said meekly.

"No you're not."

"Well," Blue shrugged. Then, with a little more sympathy, "Is that why you always kept your hood up?"

Black rolled her eyes. "Yes, Blue. I've kept my face hidden from the world because I am afraid of being _gawked_ at." Her words were dripping with sarcasm.

"I was just trying to be nice," Blue retorted, with a twinge of hurt.

Black sighed. "You know, Blue, scars and songs can tell one's life story."

Blue waited for an explanation, but it didn't seems as though one was coming. "Care to explain that?" she asked.

"No," Black answered.


	13. The After Party

Chapter 12 – The After Party

After the party had finally died down, the women returned to The Eagle's Nest for rest and bed, and in Red's case, beer. Green entered the tavern with little response from the other occupants, drunkards, merry-makers, party-ers. When Red burst through the doors, throwing them open with a loud crack, the room exploded in cheers and shouts of 'Red!' as they all raised their mugs into the air. They settled down and went back to talking excitedly to one another as Blue entered behind Red.

Then as Black appeared after the blue woman, the room went deathly silent. Each man's eyes darted anxiously toward the dark woman, her face hidden inside the inky shadows of her hood. The bar was filled with an uneasy stillness as all the patrons were suddenly struck dumb by fear. No one dared move.

"You'd think they've never seen a servant of Death before," Black whispered, barely audible even to Blue's sensitive ears.

Other than that, she ignored the mortal men's paltry fear and quickly shifted, much as a shadow would, toward the bar. After a few eternal moments, the room lapsed into quiet conversation once again.

"Servant of Death?" Blue asked. "Think highly of ourselves, do we?"

A voice from the black pit of the woman's hood answered, soft and far-away. "You're not familiar with the term 'servant,' are you?"

Beld the Barkeep came and quickly deposited a mug of ale before Blue and Black, before nervously dashing off again. Black sighed, and pulled down her hood. Taking the tankard by the handle, she took a swig of the sweet liquor. Alas, it had lost its tang and magic long ago.

Blue was about to say something, but then totally forgot it when she caught a glimpse of Black's scarred face as she took a drink. The water woman gasped.

"What happened to your face?" she demanded. Black looked at her out of the corner of her eye as she set the mug down again. "I mean, it hasn't always been like that, has it?" Blue added, realizing how her words must have sounded. She was not helping herself.

"As long as you've known me," Black replied.

"They're appalling," Blue said.

"Gee, thanks," said Black.

"No, I meant appalling as in dreadful, not appalling as in disgusting," Blue added. "Though they are that as well."

"Stop," Black demanded. "If you dig any farther you'll fall out on the other side of the world."

"I'm sorry," Blue said meekly.

"No you're not."

"Well," Blue shrugged. Then, with a little more sympathy, "Is that why you always kept your hood up?"

Black rolled her eyes. "Yes, Blue. I've kept my face hidden from the world because I am afraid of being _gawked_ at." Her words were dripping with sarcasm.

"I was just trying to be nice," Blue retorted, with a twinge of hurt.

Black sighed. "You know, Blue, scars and songs can tell one's life story."

Blue waited for an explanation, but it didn't seem as though one was coming. "Care to explain that?" she asked.

"No," Black answered.

Fitful visions visited Black that night, as she sat alone in the corner of the room in the dark, where Red snored contentedly and Blue dreamed wistfully.

She did her best to stave off the bombardment of sights and sounds of long ago, that could never really be forgotten. Her eyes glazed over as she no longer saw the other thieves around her, or the beds they slept on, or even the small, wooden room. Instead, she saw fire.

_The tents burned; flames greedily consuming their canvas walls, rising ever higher toward the sky, illuminating the night with a satanic glow. _

_Women screamed, babies cried, and men shouted as sinister forms rode wildly by on dark, devilish beasts, cutting down and running through every being in their path. _

"_Randi!" she yelled desperately. "Randi!" _

_She stood in the middle of a ring of fire, confused, afraid; alone. Time slowed, so that every second lasted a lifetime. Then a rift appeared in the wall of flames, and one of the black silhouetted demons methodically, toyingly, came through. The demonic steed snorted, its eyes rimmed in red, as the figure atop it drew its long, curved blade. It stepped closer, faster, until it was barreling straight down on top of her. There was excruciating pain, and the fire closing in all around…_

"Black!" Green shouted again.

Their leader's head jerked back, and she looked up, the glassy glaze slowly retreating from her eyes. Green gave her a look. 'You're all right. Let's go,' it said. Black nodded and got to her feet.

Green followed her out the door, with Red, oblivious, close behind. Blue left last, and as she shut the door behind her she furrowed her brow in thought. Something profound was being kept from her. Something critical; but she had no idea what.

Red stood glowering on the docks; arms folded in front of her chest, mouth curved downward in a whiny pout. She kept muttering something about hating water, then looking longingly back toward the town. Blue shrugged. Red always was the crazy one.

Green stood at the helm, grasping the wheel firmly and beaming out over the ship and crowded port. This was the first time Green had ever really looked at home. A smile crept into Blue's mind as the thought dawned on her that Green was in love with a boat.

Then there was Black. The dark, plotting, menacing, cruel, and just downright cold-hearted witch. Out of all the thieves, Black made the least amount of sense. She loaded the _Dragonfire_ with their barrels of stolen Elvish wine and gold, lifting the crates over her head with ease, and then swinging them over the rail, onto the deck; a feat inhuman in Blue's mind.

"Do we _have_ to go by boat?" Red whined as the other thieves began readying the ship for departure.

"Yes," Black answered shortly, shoving Red up the plank. Red flung her arms out to grab hold of the deck railing, and cautiously stepped forward, keeping a wary eye on the water the whole time, as if it were a snake about ready to jump up and bite her.

Blue boarded the boat, not reluctantly, but somewhat weary. A deep, primal, part of her wanted to explore the magic of the ocean; learn the water's secrets, but another part of her was mourning her departure from Middle-earth. What lay beyond was a mystery, and all hope of ever seeing Legolas again dissipated on the brisk sea wind.

Black untied the _Dragonfire_ and soon the sails were filled and the ship moving.


	14. The Confession

Chapter 13 - The Confessional

It was some time later before Black could no longer sense him.

"Damn," she cursed.

"I _hate_ water!" whined Red from behind her. "When are we gonna be back on good solid ground again?"

"Oh, suck it up," Black snapped. The little patience she had had all but vanished.

Red gave her a dirty look, then stomped off in a fit of toddlerish rage.

Blue stood by herself along the rail on the opposite end of the boat. She was gazing into the distance, at a dark shadow in the sky an unknown number of leagues away. There was a prickling sensation running through her fingers; a tug at the inner fibers of her being. She thought she could sense water, not the salty tang of the sea, but the fresh, sweet taste of rain.

"I wish it would rain," Blue sighed. Suddenly she felt something hit her head. Blue whirled around, but saw no one. "Odd," she muttered.

It happened again.

Blue looked frantically from side to side. A drop of water suddenly landed on her nose. Another landed at her feet, then another, and another. She looked up.

A massive storm cloud had drifted its way directly above the ship without Blue even noticing. A huge smile spread across the water worshiper's face.

Black glared at the approaching clouds. A storm was on its way, undoubtedly dragging a torrential downpour with it as well. Blue would be pleased, Red would be grumpy, and Green would be ready for the fight. Black cursed louder, and then blinked. The clouds were moving faster, headed straight for the thieves' ship.

"Dammit!" Black growled. The sky went dark, the clouds burst, and the rain came cascading down. "Dammit!" Black cried again, stomping her foot in frustration. "Dammit, dammit, dammit!"

Blue chose that exact moment to appear behind the dark woman. The Waterling looked as though she had something to say. Black wasn't in the mood to hear it. Blue began to open her mouth, but shut it again quickly.

"You have something to tell me, mortal?" Black demanded.

"Mortal?"

"That's right."

"Don't be calling me mortal when you're mortal too, mortal," Blue retorted.

"That's what you think," Black muttered.

"What?"

"You heard me."

"You mean you're immor…I mean…you can't…?" Blue stuttered.

"No," Black answered.

"Uh, no fair!" Blue whined.

"What can I say?" Black shrugged.

Blue had a look of utter shock on her face. "I don't believe you," she said.

"Believe it or not, that doesn't change the fact that it's true," Black replied.

Disbelief was not quite the word Blue would use to describe the emotion coursing through her at that moment. It was much more than that. Shock, disbelief, resentment…jealousy. She did not know what to think or how to feel. Black, immortal? Impossible.

"How…?" she stammered.

"Freak accident," Black said curtly.

"Accident?!" Blue cried.

"Yes, accident!" Black shouted back. The raging fire behind her eyes was beginning to burn again. "A filthy, rotting, festering, goddam, effing, _accident_!"

There was a moment of silence, where only the pounding of the rain on the ship deck could be heard. Black stood there, motionless, the water dripping from her drenched hair and clothes; her gruesome features fully exposed to the world, betraying the anguish she had so desperately tried to hide.

"Accident…" she whispered, anger giving way to despair. Hot tears threatened to roar forth, but she commanded them back. "Aaah!" she shrieked as her anger welled up once again.

"He didn't _mean_ to turn me into a rutting monster!" she screamed. "An unstoppable assassin, an immortal with incredible strength; a _freak!_ I am the product of an old man's poor attempt at _witchcraft._ 'Here, child, I won't let you die…' No! He didn't let me die. Not then, not _ever_! He robbed from me the only thing I had left: death!" Black looked up, angry tears finally coming forth. "Now I feel only pain and hate. Thanks to him my soul will never know peace. I am doomed to walk the earth until its ultimate ending." She paused, then looked Blue directly in the eye, tears gone, replaced by a stolid gaze of unwavering intensity.

"You cannot possibly understand the depth of my hatred for this man," Black whispered. "Hatred, loathing, even, does not describe this feeling within my gut; this passion that has consumed my very essence. If I could watch him die a thousand times over, it still would not be enough to slake my vengeance, I hate him so…"

Blue stood in silent amazement. Black had never strung together so many sentences at once, let alone ones of such significance. Black sighed.

"So now your suspicions have been confirmed," she said. "I am nothing but a bitter old woman. And now you know why."

_That does explain a lot_, Blue thought. "Do the others…?" Blue let the question hang.

"Yes," Black answered. "Well, in a way. I mean, Green knows. Red's been told, but being Red, I don't think she really gets it." Blue nodded.

"And the scars…?" Blue ventured.

"God!" Black yelled. "What is this? Twenty questions?"

"I'm sorry!" Blue said quickly, not wanting to get Black going again.

"No, here, tell you what," Black replied, calming down a bit, "since I apparently feel like sharing today, I will answer any and all questions that you can ask me in sixty seconds."

Blue cocked an eyebrow. "Really?" she asked.

"Yes," Black assured her.

Blue shifted her weight as she thought. "Sixty seconds? That's it?"

"I could make it thirty." Black grinned.

"Sixty's good," Blue said.

"Hold up a second," Black ordered before Blue started. "Oy! Red!" she called.

"What?" came Red's reply from inside the deck cabin.

"Come out here for a minute!"

"No! It's raining. I hate being wet."

Black growled. "Turn it off," she told Blue.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. Turn it off," Black demanded.

"I don't know…" Blue stammered.

"Oh don't play stupid," Black grumbled. "I know you brought the rain, so I know you can send it away."

Blue's mouth dropped open, then closed. How? What? Then the wheels started turning. She had thought that it was just coincidence, or that she could tell the rain was coming, but to actually call it there? Could she do that? Blue tried concentrating in telling the water to stop falling for a moment. The drops stopped.

Blue gasped and looked up at the sky. It immediately began to pour again.

"Oh, yeah. That's real helpful," Black mumbled.

Blue ignored her and went back to concentrating on the rain. This was amazing. Absolutely amazing! She could control water with her mind! It was like something straight out of a fairy tale!

"Ah-hem."

Blue brought her attention back down to earth.

"Do you still want to play?" Black asked. "'Cause you're missing your opportunity."

Blue was so caught up in her excitement that she had almost forgotten about Black's proposition. There was no way the water woman could pass that chance up, it probably would never come up again. This was her one chance to learn something, anything.

"Yes, yes," she said.

Red came out of the cabin. "It won't rain on me?" she asked.

"No," Blue assured her.

"Sixty seconds on the clock, please, Red," Black said.

"Got it," Red replied, suddenly holding an old-fashioned stopwatch in her hand. Blue took a deep breath. Game time. "Go."

"Where are we going?" Blue asked.

"Saltfort."

"Where is that?"

"Across the sea."

"What are we doing there?"

"Thieving."

"How long will we be there?"

"Time undetermined."

"Will I ever see Legolas again?"

"Perhaps. Come on, Blue. Are these the questions you really want to know the answers to?" Black smiled fiendishly. Blue quickly rethought her game plan.

"When did you get those scars?"

"At Eighteen."

"How?"

"Beaten."

"Why?"

"Cheated."

"On what?"

"My husband."

"Your husband?"

"Yes."

"Did you love him?"

"Thirty seconds," Red chimed.

"Who?"

"Your husband?"

"Which one?"

"You had more than one?"

"Yes."

"How many?"

"Two."

"The one you cheated on?"

"No."

"Have you ever been in love?"

"Yes."

"How many times?"

"Fifteen…"

"Twice."

"With whom?"

"Men."

"What kind of men?"

"Heterosexual."

"Ten…"

"Did you marry them?"

"One."

"Where is he?"

"Dead."

"How?"

"His heart stopped beating."

"Five…"

"Why?"

"Ran out of blood."

"Three…"

"What are you?"

"Two…"

"Phoenix."

"Time."

"And what is a phoenix?"

Black shook her head. "Sorry, time's up. Thank you for playing."

Blue gasped, letting out a breath she hadn't known she was holding.

"That was fun!" Red shouted giddily. "Let's play again. Only this time, Blue, do me!" She handed Black the stopwatch.

Blue's head was swimming. She had just been rattling things off so quickly, she couldn't remember exactly what had happened.

A clash of thunder sounded over head as the rain refused to be held back any longer.

Red screamed as the fat water droplets pelted her head, and she dashed back inside the cabin to hide under the blankets, muttering curses about the sea, rain, and water in general.

Black shot Blue a demonic grin, then stalked off toward the bow of the ship. Blue watched the dark woman walk away; wind tearing at her cloak, lightening illuminating the sky in white and purple streaks.


	15. At Sea

Chapter 14 - At Sea

"It's been raining for three straight days!" Red complained. "Make it go away!"

"No," Blue retorted. "I like it."

"But I hate rain!"

"Shut up, both of you!" Black ordered. "I'm trying to eat."

"You haven't touched anything," Blue pointed out.

"I'm at the end of my rope, Blue," Black snarled, "and you're tugging at it."

Blue looked down. Things hadn't quite been the same since the interrogation. There was still that general feeling of mutual resentment, but now…it was just different.

"Rain, rain, go away," Red sang softly, "don't bother coming back again."

"Hey!" Blue cried.

"That's it!" shouted Black, slamming the table with her fist and standing up. She pulled her hood up and exited the captain's cabin where the other thieves were eating. She stood out in the rain, contemplating. She would never find peace.

Back inside, Blue's mind began to wander as well.

Red's mind, never one to stay on the same track for more than two minutes, was running back and forth between how much she hated rain, and how much she really wanted a huge piece of steak just then.

"Whatchya thinkin'?" Red asked Blue when she had forgotten what it was she was thinking about.

"Just about my home," Blue answered. "My old life before Black…"

"Oh," said Red. "I don't really remember my home before I met Black. Actually, I don't remember much of anything before I met Black."

"Really? Nothing?" Blue asked.

"Um, no."

"Why not?"

"She hit her head one too many times," Green answered. "Literally. It was the second time that did it."

"And, nothing ever came back?"

"Nope," Red piped.

"Don't you want to remember?" Blue asked.

"Er…huh," Red mused. "I never really thought about that."

"What are you doing?" Black had suddenly reappeared in the room.

"How come Red can't remember anything before she met you?" Blue demanded.

"She hit her head one too many times…" Black began.

"I know, the second time's what did it," Blue finished. "But why hasn't she remembered any of it?"

Black glared. "What are you trying to do? Do you _want_ her to remember?"

"I think she has a right…" Blue started.

"Well stop," Black ordered. "If she'd wanted to remember she could have. I swear, you've made it your mission to completely undermine me in any way possible."

"Excuse me?" Blue said. "Undermine _you?_ May I remind you, it was _you_ who came to _me_."

"Yes," Black replied curtly. "AndI've regretted it ever since. So there was that one job you proved useful, but since then, you've been nothing but a hassle."

"That's your own fault!" Blue cried. "I would have left, I tried to…"

"I'm aware," Black interjected. "That's another reason you're such a pain to drag along."

"Then why am I still here!" Blue demanded.

"Yeah, why is Blue still here?" Red wondered, finally rejoining the conversation after going off on her own little tangent.

Black turned to the blonde woman. "In case you die," she stated dryly.

"Hahah…" Red trailed off. "Wait…" she studied the expression on Black's face before the fire-flinging woman left the cabin again. It was then that Red became paranoid that Black was actually out to kill her.

Red jumped at everything now, and always kept something solid behind her back. Blue was a bit edgy as well. Green started showing signs of anxiety only because of the tension between the other two thieves. Black was the only one who carried on as usual.

"Blue, you're going to cause an international draught if it keeps raining here like this," Black said once to the Water Woman. Blue reluctantly made the rain stop, though it was still overcast much of the time.

Red had finally surfaced out into the open since the rain stopped. Not that that improved matters. Her eyes darted around constantly, expecting Black to jump out of any and every dark shadow she passed. She walked by the actual Black one afternoon, muttering to herself as she often did, only this time Red listened, and heard something with the words 'must kill' in it.

"I don't want to die," Red whispered to herself. "Maybe if I killed Blue…"

No one spoke at diner that night; the tension could be cut with a dull butter knife.

Black kept her eyes looking down at a piece of paper while she ate. Red watched her every move. Black picked up a roll, tore a piece off, chewed, and swallowed. She tore off another…and then she suddenly was reaching toward Red.

"I knew you were out to get me!" Red screamed as she jumped back from her chair and drew a sharp hunting knife.

All eyes were on the blonde woman. Black gave her a look that she often gave Red, one that said 'you idiot,' and went back to eating. Red calmed down after that, re-sheathed her knife, and continued with diner.

There were no more incidents after that. Though Green told Black what the pirate king George had told her, about a man looking for a woman of Red's description, so the dark woman kept a close eye on the shape-shifter after that as well.

"I'm bored," Red whined one afternoon.

"Figures," mumbled Black as she shot perturbed fireballs out across the ocean, "no men, no bars, and no one to steal from. Dreadfully dull."

"I wish we could go back to Middle-earth," sighed Red. "Elves are hot. And the men weren't bad either, despite their possessed jewelry." She sighed again.

Black stopped in mid-fireball. Wheels started turning. "Of course," she muttered. "The Ring…" The dark woman stared at the ball of fire for a moment more, than flung it too out across the water.

"Red," Black whispered, turning to the blonde woman, "I need you to take me back to Pirate's Lost Port."

"Huh?" Red mumbled, snapping out of her daydreaming trance.

"I'm leaving," Black said. "Whip out one of your eagle feathers."

"Why?" asked Red.

"I need you to take me to Pirate's Lost Port," Black repeated.

"We're going back to Middle-earth?" she asked excitedly.

"No," Black retorted, "I am. I just need you to take me there."

"But that's no fun," Red complained. "I wanna go back."

"It'll get you off this boat for a while," Black said.

"Okay," Red agreed. She opened up her cloak to reveal a stash of feathers tucked into the lining and picked out one large brown and white one. "This one looks good," she said. She replaced the feather, and closed her eyes in concentration. Immediately she began to change. The woman swelled, her arms lengthened, she sprouted feathers. In a matter of seconds Red had morphed into a giant Eagle.

"Excellent," Black muttered, hopping onto Red the Eagle's back. "Pirate's Lost Port," she ordered.

The bird squawked and took off in a flurry of feathers.

"What in the world…?" Blue exclaimed as she noticed a giant bird flying up from the other side of the ship.

They flew on peacefully for a while, until Red happened to glance down. She balked and lost altitude, then in a panic started flapping again wildly. She squawked a few times as well.

"What the hell's the matter?" Black demanded, reaffirming her grip.

"You never said anything about flying over water!" Red replied in bird talk.

"We're on a boat in the ocean!" Black yelled. "Of course there's going to be water!" Pause as Red chirped some more. "Well then flap faster!" Black retorted.


	16. Return to Middleearth

Chapter 15 - Return to Middle-earth

"Go back to the ship," Black ordered once the two thieves hit land.

"I think I'll just stay here," Red replied lightly.

"Either you go back to the ship," Black growled, "or I will make sure you do stay here…permanently."

"Permanently?" Red wondered. Black flashed a knife in front of her face. "Oh, right…" Red squeaked. "Look!" she shouted suddenly, pointing over Black's shoulder. "Something dark and evil looking!"

Black's eyes flickered, and Red turned into a raven and flew away. Black huffed triumphantly, and once the small dark spot that was Red disappeared in the distance Black began to smile. There was a discreet gurgling in her throat, and then it grew into a wild, maniacal laugh.

"Free!" Black laughed. "Free!"

And the mothers grabbed their children and the men locked the doors.

Black borrowed a horse from one of the stables in the port and wasted no time in setting out. She was headed toward Mordor, in the general direction the Fellowship would be traveling. She had no wish to see that arrogant pretty-boy Elf again, but she'd just have to deal with it. At least Red wouldn't be there.

She went as fast as the horse could go, and when she came to the next town she traded it for a fresh one. She continued on like this for days, until she reached the Gap of Rohan.

Rohan, she thought, home of the Horse-lords. She stopped in the Westfold only to find it pillaged and burned; not a thatch house standing. Work of the servants of Saruman the Traitor, no doubt. So the woman rode on, until her mount was utterly exhausted, then she let him go to roam the rich grasslands and do as he wished.

The dark woman had a way with horses, so she felt more at home in this land than in any other part of Middle-earth. She also used her abilities to convince a young black stallion to let her ride him. Once she got him to trust her she spurred him toward Anduin and the Falls of Rauros. Before she got very far, however, she ran across a huge host of iron-clad Uruk-hai. They carried long black spears and tattered black flags with the white hand of Saruman painted in the middle. The beasts also had crossbows, ladders, and a battering ram: weapons of war.

Black stood on a rise overlooking the marching host. They were headed in the direction of Helm's Deep. The woman quickly made up her mind and changed directions. She kicked the stallion into a run and flew toward the great fortress of Rohan. As the sight of the Uruks began to disappear behind the knoll, the woman stuck out her hand and sent a jet of fire barreling into the great company.

The dark woman reached the stone fortress just after dusk. Soldiers lined the outer walls, armed and watchful. So war was expected. Black looked closer. Were those _elves_ on the walls?

"Not more bloody fairies," she groaned as she directed her mount forward.

The woman was hidden from sight by the darkness as she approached. Not until she was almost right underneath the wall did one of the elves spot her.

"Aragorn -" called Legolas.

The man that was to be king strode over to his friend from Mirkwood. "What is it?" he asked quietly.

Legolas pointed to a cloaked figure on horseback standing just below them and whispered vehemently. "She has returned."

Black was becoming impatient. Not that she worried about the Uruks arriving while she was still on the ground, she could handle them, it would just be very painful, but she wanted to know exactly what was going on. She scanned the lines of men and elves; it was a sorry sight. Old men and boys and fairies. She scoffed silently.

"That is the woman…" Aragorn began.

"Yes," Legolas hissed.

"What is she doing here?" Aragorn wondered. Legolas wondered too, but his was more the angry bitter kind. That woman made his skin crawl.

The dark woman's impatience soon got the better of her and she decided to make her presence be known.

"Oye!" she called. "You know there's a host of Uruks headed this way, yes?"

The ranks on the walls all began to shift and turn their heads, trying to find the body that went with the voice. The elves soon had all of their eyes upon the dark woman, and she did her best to ignore them.

"Is the one known as Aragorn among you?" she asked. There was no reply. "Is the one known as Aragorn with you?" she repeated more forcefully. There was a shift in the line of elves right above her and a man appeared.

"What are you doing here?" Aragorn questioned.

Black growled. "Do you want my help or not?" she demanded.


	17. Battle of the Wall

**Note: Book of Black **has now been posted on for any who are interested. Penname: Jackalope Huntress.

Chapter 16 – Battle of the Wall

Men and Elves alike stared at Black as she strode down the outer wall and picked out a position dead center. Gimli had made some crude remark about women and battle, but quickly shut up when Black had rounded on him, hauled him up to eye level and demanded if he had something to say to her.

King Theoden demanded to know what was going on and who this new comer was, so Aragorn hastily explained the fire-throwing woman before she lost her temper and flung fire at the king.

Black ignored Legolas completely; it was just easier that way. She watched the approaching torches in mounting excitement. It had been so long since she had been in a proper battle. Violence, bloodshed; a shiver ran down her spine.

Thunder rolled over the plains and lightening split the sky. The Uruk host came closer and it began to rain.

"Come hither, my roaches," the dark woman whispered.

And thus it begun.

Black stepped up onto the wall after the archers had fired their volleys and the Orcs started setting up ladders. She turned her head up to the dark thunderheads in the sky and closed her eyes. She spread her arms wide as the wind whipped about her, cloak gone to reveal similarly black leather garments tailored for her type of war. The darkness was kind though, in that it spared the soldiers from the sight of her maimed flesh.

The ladders started to land against the wall when a blinding blue light began to wind itself around Black's hands. The fire grew. The woman's face glowed eerily and her silver armband glinted in the blue-white demon light. The men around her stepped back.

A ladder landed to Black's left. At first it seemed that the thick-skinned Bezerker would jump up and cut the woman down, but then her eyes flashed open. The dark irises were replaced by flickering blue light, and her pupils were overrun with furious flames. She turned her face toward the creature and lifted a finger.

The orc never even shrieked.

Aragorn saw as well, and wondered. He decided that it was good to have the fire-woman on his side.

Black cackled inwardly and let the fire fly. She incinerated orc after orc as it futilely climbed the ladder before her. She even set a few flames down into the greater host, causing miniature rifts in their plague-like numbers. She soon tired of this removed form of fighting, however, and took up her double-ended spear.

Black swirled and hacked and cut down the Uruks in a terrible frenzy. She was high on blood-lust. She was grounded abruptly though when some overlooked Uruk came up behind her and managed a brutal swipe at her left arm before she decapitated it.

Black cursed and surveyed the damage done to her bare arm. Legolas watched from the corner of his eye, hoping the evil woman may be experiencing even a fraction of the pain she had caused him. While she did appear to be in pain, the Elf watched in horror and amazement as the piece of severed flesh began to re-knit itself. In only a moment the woman's arm showed no sign of injury.

Legolas was brought out of his revere as he heard Aragorn yell for him.

Black sensed something was amiss when she saw the little contingent of orcs gathered around a section of the wall. Two of them came out of the mass carrying a giant spiked metal ball between them. Then she saw the one with the torch.

Without thinking, the Queen of Thieves hurled herself over the wall and landed on top of the giant Bezerker. There were several arrows sticking out of his shoulders, and the woman flinched as she felt one pierce her own skin. She looked up and cursed the little blonde fairy. She knew it was him, so she reached back and yanked the arrow out, then used it to stab the beast under her a few times.

Once she was sure it was dead, she rose to her feet. The torch had rolled away somewhere, and now she surrounded by iron-armored Uruks. She exchanged a few glares, but stood firmly between them and the destruction devices behind her.

"Move and you're dead," she growled. One twitched. Dead before he hit the ground.

The Uruks rushed at her together, and Black did her best to defend against all of them without using fire. If she used fire too close to the contraptions they might explode, and that would not be good.

As Black hacked the orcs assaulting her, one slipped by wielding a torch. "Hell, no," she thought, cutting off the orc's head and lunging at the other. She wrestled it for a while and was thrown a few feet away from the metal devices. She lifted her head from the dirt to see the torch rolling slowly toward the contraptions.

"Aw, shi -"

Aragorn watched in horror as the orcs threw the woman and the torch into the culvert. There was a split second of silence before the wall exploded. The Man was thrown and landed roughly onto a pile of rubble. The Elf saw the explosion as well, and was immediately bombarded with conflicting emotions regarding the woman in black. He was not allotted time to think on them, however, for the Uruks now had the wall breached.

The battle raged on, and the Fellowship companions had no time for grieving or thinking of the cloaked woman.

Haldir of Lorien was fending off Uruks on the wall when Aragorn called to him and told him to pull back to the keep. The Marchwarden nodded and repeated the order to his fellows.

He turned around and was caught by one of the Uruks. He stumbled, and another Uruk came up behind him, ax raised. The Uruk froze in mid-stride, for a dark figure had suddenly appeared from among the bodies and thrust a knife into the creature's neck as it tripped.

The figure turned, spotted the wounded Elf, and hauled him up. The figure retreated to the Keep, dragging Haldir along with him. Being an Elf, and a high-classed one at that, Haldir soon regained his composure, though he still bled. When he tried to see who had dragged him to the Keep, there was no one there.


	18. The Wrong Horse Man

Chapter – 17 

The horns of victory sounded through the Keep as the Orcs were driven back into the forest that had suddenly sprouted overnight. Legolas and Aragorn watched the foul beasts flee along with the White Wizard, the King of Rohan, and Éomer: Third Marshall of the Mark. Aragorn could not help but wonder about the dark woman lost in the explosion of the wall. Legolas's mind also drifted to the thief, and then to the woman she had stolen from him.

_Aluhin_, he sighed inwardly

Aragorn felt a twang of remorse for the many that had been lost, and for the mysterious fire-woman. Though she had been bitter and somewhat of a cruel-nature, she was strong, and powerful, and ever an enigma.

The wearied defenders soon retreated back to the Keep, some in quiet conversation, others in silent contemplation. Aragorn and Legolas came trough the doors, stepping around scattered debris and laying aside their weapons.

"Well you sure took your sweet time."

The two companions whirled around to stare into the dark recess of the room. In the dim, unlit corner an inky figure stood among the shadows. Aragorn strained to penetrate the darkness; Legolas knew immediately.

"How…" Aragorn whispered once he realized who the figure was. "The wall…"

"Yeah," the woman's voice rasped, "that was a real pain in the $$."

"It's not possible…" Aragorn breathed. "The wall…"

"Yes, the wall exploded, we've been through that," the woman chided. The man continued to stare at her intently. "Look; yes, I survived the blast. My clothes, on the other hand, did not. I found my cloak, but unfortunately I was not able to access any cache of clothing. I was going to borrow that one guy's clothes, but he turned out to be a bloody Fairy, a very bloody Fairy, actually, so I had to trash that idea."

"Haldir?" Aragorn wondered.

The woman shrugged. "How the hell should I know? They all look the same."

There was a moment of silence.

"Clothes?" Black repeated. "I mean, personally I don't have a problem with going around naked, but I'm sure you'd be more comfortable with me fully clothed." Aragorn blinked once before the woman's words sank in and he turned away.

Black soon tired of waiting in the darkened corner for the Man to bring her a set of clothes, so when an unsuspecting man of Rohan came near, she pounced on him. Unfortunately, it was the wrong Man of Rohan.

She sprang out of the shadows and grabbed his neck. The man spun in the nick of time and plunged his sword into her gut. Black lurched as the harsh metal sank into her body. She gurgled slightly as blood began to pool in her mouth. She looked up angrily at the horse-lord as he withdrew his blade.

The man was tall and light-haired, broad and somewhat scruffy. "Damn you pretty boys," she cursed.

The man stared down at her in bewilderment. He had no knowledge of the woman, and the fact that only scarred skin peeked out from the small openings in her cloak slightly worried him.

Black spit out the cold, metallic blood in her mouth and began to right herself. "All I wanted was a pair of britches," she said, "and perhaps a shirt or vest." She felt the skin over her abdomen begin to stitch itself back up. The pain was subsiding, slowly. "Wretched equi-man," she grumbled as she walked bent over, gingerly making her way out of the keep. "Seriously," she muttered, "I've been stabbed and shot and blown up more times in the past five days than I have the past five decades."

Red flew through the warm, sunny sky, happy and content, with absolutely nothing on her mind. It wasn't until she realized she was hungry, which made her look down, that she noticed she was flying out over open water.

"Bwaaaccckk!" she squawked.

"They've been gone for days!" Blue protested. "What could they possibly be doing? And why did they leave? How is it, that _she_ can leave, any bloody time she wants, and I am not even allowed off the boat!"

Green did her best to ignore the whining woman in blue. "That's just the way it is," she answered in her typical, ambiguous way. "I don't ask questions, I don't need to. Frankly, I really don't care. Now drop the anchor we're stopping here."

"Bwaack! Aaackk! Eeek!" Red the raven cried as she flew around in frantic, spiraling circles. She tended to get a little unfocused around open water with nothing solid to put her feet on.

She flapped her wings incessantly, the battle against panic already lost. And then she suddenly smacked head on into another bird; a seagull. The seagull suddenly went limp, then fell out of the sky and landed in the water with a faint 'splish.' Red shook her head, a bit dazed. When her vision cleared again she spotted something down below.

Land!


	19. Tortuga

Chapter 18 - Tortuga

Once Red had transformed back into her human self and planted both feet firmly on solid ground, she left out a huge sigh of relief.

_Oh, land,_ she thought_, I'll never leave your dry side again!_ She took a deep breath of manure-tainted air. "Ah, that's better," she said, looking around. "Now, where's the bar?"

Green and Blue locked up the treasure, tied up the _Dragonfire_ to the dock, and entered the rowdy port city.

"Where are we?" Blue asked as they passed a man with a peg leg pounding on a man with an eye-patch in the middle of the street.

"Tortuga," Green answered, ignoring the fight and the drunken sailors and wenches swaying back and forth on a couple of barrels.

Blue skirted out of the way as a horse drawn cart flew by, dragging another grungy man along behind it.

"O…kay…"

Red easily found the nearest ale-house and made her way through the brawling customers to the bar. After she had taken a few swigs from her frothy mug, she noticed a rather well-kept (compared to the rest of the lot in the pub) man leaning rather uncomfortably against a pillar. He was fairly tall, had curly black hair tied loosely behind his head, and a close-cut black goatee. He was hot.

"Hi there," Red greeted. He looked at her with wide, sort of confused eyes.

"Hello," he replied airily. There was something familiar about that voice, Red noted, as well as his face.

"You look somewhat familiar," Red said. "Have I stole from you before?"

"Excuse me?" the man asked.

"I mean dole…" Red corrected. "…doled…dealed…dealt, dealt! Dealt with you before?" The man squinted at her. "Never mind," she said, taking a drink of her beer and walking away.

Once Black had found suitable clothes she made her way back to the Keep. She had a plan she wished to discuss, or rather inform, the Ranger man of. She had a personal vendetta against this great Eye guy, and there was a way, she reasoned, that she could achieve both her personal goals of revenge and suicide all in one shot.

"…so that little hairy midget friend of yours need not bother himself with the arduous journey," Black finished telling Aragorn.

"Explain this to me again," he said. "You want to what?"

"Die," Black replied.

"Why?" the Man asked.

"Because I do," Black retorted.

"And you're going to do what?"

"Throw myself into the fires of Mount Doom," she answered. "I'll take the Ring with me as I jump so that I may have revenge upon the Cyclops, and you may be rid of him and his oppression and yadda, yadda, etc."

"Don't trust her, Aragorn," Gimli grunted.

"Shut up, Dwarf," Black snapped.

Aragorn shook his head. "This is just so…"

"Brilliant?" Black offered.

"I was going to say bizarre, but…" Aragorn said. "Why do you want to help us destroy the Ring?" he asked.

"Like I said, I have a personal vendetta against the guy…spirit…whatever the hell he is. Let's just say he failed to, pay up," she said. _He promised Death_, she thought, _but did I get it? No! Just goes to show that you can't trust any kind of wizard, anytime, anyplace._

Aragorn sighed. "Frodo and Sam have already left," he told her. "Every day they draw closer to the land of Mordor. Though exactly where they are, I cannot say."

"Figures," Black grumbled.

Blue was surprised to see so many drunken, brawling people in the pub so early in the day. Then again, Blue was surprised or at least unfamiliar with just about everything the Thieves did or were associated with.

She followed Green through the mass of bodies, letting out a little squeal of angry terror as she felt something snag her cloak. She looked down to see a scraggly, dirt-stained face smiling stupidly up at her. He was missing his front two teeth.

"Ew!" she squeaked, ripping her cloak out of his hands. She definitely did not like it there.

Green and Blue approached the only unoccupied table in the back, but the Pirate woman paused as she caught a glimpse of a bright red cloak.

"Red!"

Red started at hearing her name. She took her hand out of some oblivious drunk's pocket and looked around.

"Green!" she greeted cheerily.

"What are you doing here?" Green demanded.

"Drinking!" Red replied, holding up her mug and smiling broadly. "And stealing!" she whispered sneakily.

"Everyone could hear that, you know," Blue pointed out.

"Ah, no one's paying attention," Red countered. "They're all too busy getting drunk and disorderly."

"Just like you," Blue mumbled.

Red pushed her way through the crowd toward her fellows. Someone fell to the floor directly in front of her as someone else hit him squarely in the jaw. She stepped over him without a blink, just as the man who did the punching vaulted over the table onto the man on the floor.

"What're you guys doin?" Red asked once she reached Green and Blue.

"Cheating death," Blue muttered.

"Re-supplying," Green said. "We were running low on food and drink."

"Mmm, food," Red murmured. "I'm hungry. Do they sell food here?" She ducked to avoid a low flying chair leg as she looked around to survey for edibles.

"Dunno," Green replied, jutting her elbow into the ribs of some man who'd stumbled into her. "We're going somewhere that does, though."

"Oh, then I'll come with you," Red said, taking one last pull of her beer to drain it. "Ah!" she said, smacking her lips and throwing the mug over her shoulder. The thin, black haired man she'd hit on earlier fell to the ground. "Let's go!"

"Well then," Black sighed. "I'll just go with them." She was re-thinking her plan. She decided that she'd stick around with these war-torn bums for awhile, until she had gathered enough to find out what was happening in the 'War for Middle-earth.'

Revenge was a must. The Cyclops had betrayed her, no one betrayed _her,_ therefore he had to pay Destroying his attempt to rule the world and ultimately his essence would be a good way to do it, and flinging herself into the Volcano, well, it might just work. How to go about doing all that, though, she'd have to figure out.

Red had gotten tired of walking, so she turned herself into a brightly colored parrot and took up residence on Green's right shoulder.

"She went _back_ to Middle-earth!" Blue shrieked. "Why? I thought she wanted to go…somewhere else!"

"Well, yeah, eventually…" Green said. "She probably just forgot to take care of some unfinished business."

"I have unfinished business there, why could I not go back?" Blue demanded.

"Give it a year, maybe two," Green said, "if she hasn't come back then, she's probably gone and you can leave."

"Gone?" Blue said. "What do mean, 'gone?'"

"Gone like a freight train," Red the parrot squawked, "gone like yesterday…"

"Gone as in no more," Green answered. ("Gone like a soldier in the civil war, bang! bang!" sang Red.) "Dead."

"DEAD?" Blue gaped.

"Yeah," Green said.

"Gone like a '59 cadallac…"

"Wha…?" Blue stumbled.

"Gone like the good things, that ain't ever comin' back…"

"I wouldn't worry about it," Green told her. "I mean, she's been trying to kill herself for years and it's never worked. I doubt any new attempt will work either." Blue just stared at her.

"Why?" she asked.

Green shrugged. Blue wouldn't get any more out of her, at least not today.

They walked along in silence for a few moments, until a tall, tan man with dreads and a feather in his hair sashayed past them. Red whistled.

The man turned 'round, looking for the whistler, but saw only the back of Green's cape and Red's parrot head bobbing up and down.


	20. Polly Wanna Cracker?

Chapter 19 - Polly Wanna Cracker?

**A/N: Attention Readers:** _I know you're out there! Thanks to that nice little hit counter, I know just how many of you read and don't review. Flames and fans are welcome. I would just like some feedback. I don't care if you're opinion is 'you suck' or 'you rock.' Feedback would be nice. I will respond and return the favor to the best of my abilities. Thanks!_

An hour or so later, Green, Blue and Red were chilling in another, less violent, pub. Red had turned back into the exotic parrot after she'd finished her meal so she could fly around and cause general mayhem and mirth while picking at scraps of other people's lunches.

Green gave a short, sharp whistle to call the bird back to her. Red began to waddle to the end of the table she was currently entertaining, paused, then snatched the last grape from a rather stern looking man's plate, before taking off and alighting on Green's shoulder.

"Satisfied?" Green asked. The parrot burped.

"Where are we going now?" Blue questioned as the three made their way to the door.

"I just need to pick up a few things," Green told her. Red flapped her wings. Blue did not feel good about this.

Black rode back with the men to the Horse Men's capital. Edoras was one of the few people settlements she could still tolerate. It was filled with horsy smells, sounds, sights, and the like. Any people who were good horse people Black could get along with. So long as she didn't actually have to talk to any of them.

She started humming as she thought about her plan. Perhaps this time it would actually work. She'd been waiting for so long to just…end.

"You there!" came a voice from behind. Somehow she didn't think he was talking to the pack horse.

Blue waited outside a dark, shabby shop in the more sinister part of town, waiting for Green to re-emerge. Red had refused to go anywhere near the evil looking place, so instead she took off to circle the sky like a vulture.

When Green came out she looked none the worse. She still had the same blank, unreadable expression on her face and Blue could detect nothing else different upon her person.

Red saw Green appear and dive-bombed toward them.

"Bwraaack!" she squawked as she misjudged the distance and tumbled into the dirt. She got back up woozily, and stumbled a few steps before she flapped her wings and landed on Green's shoulder.

"You!" the man shouted again. Black remained facing forward. "In the black robe!" he called. Black looked around.

"I'm sorry, were you speaking to me?" she asked.

"I've seen you before," he mused.

"Is that a fact?" Black said. "Huh." She turned back around and pulled up her hood. The mounted man trotted up next to her.

"You attacked me," he stated simply.

"I assure you, it was nothing personal," Black replied. She cast a glance at the blondish horseman. "It was a simple mistake." His clothes never would have fit her properly.

"The Dwarf said you could throw fire with your fingers."

"Loose-lipped idiot," Black grumbled.

"Who are you?" the horseman demanded. Black smirked.

She shot a jet of flames out of her finger. "Black Fire," she answered, blowing the smoke off her fingertip. "Nice to meet you." She held out her hand. He eyed her suspiciously and did not take her hand. Black pulled it back with smug satisfaction.

"Run along, now, Horsy-boy," she said. "I'm sure you have important things to attend to."

He eyed her again before spurring his mount forward.

"Simpleton," Black scoffed. "Albeit, a nice looking one."

Green, Blue, and the parrot Red walked into yet another pub later that day. Red bobbed up and down on Green's shoulder, sizing up the occupants. As they walked through the crowd, one young man with black hair noticed Red.

"That is a beautiful bird," he told Green, in a light, airy voice. Red preened and cocked her head.

"Hm?" Green said absentmindedly. "Oh, yeah…"

"Polly wanna cracker?" he asked, holding out a wafer.

Red squawked. "Polly wanna beer," she said. Then she took flight and landed on the bar, leaving the young man in shocked disbelief.

Green pushed her way through all the people to stand next to Red, who was squawking at the bartender.

"Beer!" she cawed. "Beer! Beer!" She flapped her wings incessantly.

"Shoo, stupid bird," the bartender growled.

"Beer!"

"Just give her one," Green said. The bartender looked at her as if she'd just sprouted horns. Green nodded, so the barkeep shrugged and filled up a mug and set it in front of Red.

Red hopped toward the mug and dunked her beak inside. She came back up, ale dripping from her bill. She let out a bird belch and fell over. When she woke up again she was still lying on the bar, but Green and Blue were not around.

Red staggered to her feet and tried flying to her companion's table. She faltered and went sprawling onto the tabletop of two men's dining table. They looked down at her with shock and amusement.

"Well that was interesting," one said.

Red jumped back up and shook out her wings. One of the men was short and squat with scraggly gray sideburns. The other was the pirate man with the dreads and feather and gold-capped teeth.

"I know that parrot," he mused.

Red fluffed herself up.

"I think it likes ye, Jack," the other man said.

"Sorry about that," Green interrupted, leaning between the two men and seizing Red. The parrot wriggled and shrieked in protest, but Green held fast. As they exited the bar, Green put Red back on her shoulder.

"Polly wanna Jack," Red squawked.

"What I do not understand is how she survived the explosion of the wall," Aragorn said, as he, Gimli, Legolas, and Éomer discussed the black-clad woman.

"We knew she possessed some kind of sinister magic," Legolas insisted.

"Yes," Aragorn continued, "but I saw her. She was in the culvert when it ruptured…"

"I witnessed it as well," the Elf told him.

"Humph," Gimli huffed. "She's evil. Some kind of dark magician. We should just have her head and be done with it."

"Did you not say, Aragorn, that the woman wished to throw herself into the fires of Mount Doom?" asked Éomer.

"Yes."

"Well then," said Gimli, "problem solved! Let her kill herself!"

"What if she falls into the hands of the Enemy?"

"Well…"

"But if the rocks did not kill her, are we sure the lava will?"

"No," came a low rasp from a small distance behind the companions. They all turned to see the dark woman sitting placidly on her dark horse, face hidden in the shadows of her hood. "But I mean to try all the same."


	21. The Hellfire

Chapter 20 - The _Hellfire_

They were back at sea, the sails full. Red went back to muttering malcontentedly in the captain's cabin while Green and Blue (more or less) enjoyed the salty sea air. Boats were just so bloody boring to Red. No pubs, no men, no land, no one to steal from, no one to pick a fight with…

Green froze in place.

Blue looked to where Green was staring. "Do you know them?" she asked, gesturing toward the ship in the distance.

Green took out her spyglass and stepped closer to the deck rail. She snapped the glass shut defiantly.

"That's my ship!" she declared.

"What?" Blue asked. "_Your_ ship?"

"What's going on?" Red asked, coming out into the daylight at the sound of a commotion.

"Green says that is her ship," Blue told her. Red gazed out at said ship.

"That one?" she asked. "How can you tell?"

Green began tying and untying ropes, realigning the rudder and preparing to switch directions dramatically.

"I know my own ship," she answered. "Even without the giant red _Hellfire_ written on the side."

"Hellfire? Do all ships have the name 'fire' in it?" Blue asked. Green ignored her.

"Hold on," Green ordered.

All at once the ship made a ninety degree turn and was steadily picking up speed, heading directly toward the _Hellfire_ the distance. Red screamed and flung her arms around the nearest anchored object.

"What the hell is going on?" she demanded.

"I'm getting my ship back," Green growled.

"What is the difference?" Blue asked. "A ship is a ship." Green glared at her, but did not dignify the remark with a response. "How are we going to take that ship?" Blue persisted. "There is but three of us!"

Red perked up. "What?" she said. "Is there going to be a fight?"

"Yes," Green answered, a weird glint in her eye.

"Finally!" Red exclaimed. "Something to do!"

"We are out numbered!" Blue protested.

"Even better!" Red declared, unsheathing her sword as Green directed the _Dragonfire _closer and closer to the _Hellfire._

"Surrender now and live!" Green cried to the men aboard the _Hellfire_. The crew laughed as one of the ship's boys went to retrieve the captain.

"Didn't even bother to paint the name over?" Green demanded of the tall, wiry man who was Captain. "You were always a bit of an idiot, Flynn."

"What be all this 'bout surrenderin' and bein' an idiot?" asked the man named Flynn.

"You stole my ship," Green said.

The man's eyes squinted slightly. "Lady Jade?"

"At your service," Green bowed. "Now hand over my ship, and no one will get hurt."

Flynn surveyed Green and the boat around her, lingering over Blue and Red, who was smiling flirtatiously at him.

"A convincing threat," Flynn said, "if there be a crew to back it up."

"I have a crew," Green replied. Flynn cocked a brow.

"Two _women?_"

Red took personal offense to the man's tone of voice. "Excuse me?" she demanded. "What's wrong with _women?_"

Flynn smiled. "Nothin', sugar," he answered. "In fact, I quite like women."

"Sugar?" Red said. The only thing keeping her from launching herself at the lewd sailor was the small expanse of ocean between them. "Why don't you come over here and I'll show you how sugary I am."

"I'd love to, darlin," Flynn replied, "but I'm afraid I can't leave my men alone on the ship. Why don't you come over here and demonstrate for all of us?" The men jeered.

"Why you little," Red grumbled. "Pervert!" she shouted, hurling a small dagger at the Captain. The blade embedded itself into the wooden rigging right next to his head.

"Ye sure do keep interestin' company, Jade woman," Flynn remarked. Red fumed, then transformed herself into a raven.

Red hurled her talons and beak at the man's face, aiming for his eyes. Flynn waved his arms about his head, trying to fend off the vicious bird, but was losing. Some of his other men went to help their captain, but only succeeded in getting their own hands and heads bit and pooped on.

On commanders orders, a few men prepared to board the _Dragonfire_, but just as they jumped from the railing, hanging onto their ropes, a ferocious wind came screeching up and blew them backward, causing a few to drop into the water.

Blue was at a loss of what to do. She couldn't do anything from where she was. Unless, maybe, she jumped into the water herself…

One man's eyes aboard the _Hellfire_ went wider than the rest as the woman in Red suddenly transformed into a dark red, almost black raven. He did not look like the other men on the ship. He was cleaner, more well-dressed, and healthier looking. He tried to push his way through the crowd that had gathered at the railing. With some difficulty he made his way closer to the captain and the bird.

"Red!" Green shouted, taking notice of the strange man making his way slowly but surely towards her.

Red took one last peck at Flynn before flying back the _Dragonfire_ and returning to her human form.

"Do you surrender?" Green asked. The Captain looked up at her, numerous cuts bleeding down his face. "I'll make a deal with you," Green said. "You peaceably hand over the _Hellfire_, and I'll let you have this fine vessel here."

Flynn glared at her. "Prepare to board!" he shouted to his men.

"You don't want to do that," Green warned. The men of the _Hellfire_ continued to ready their cutlasses.

The first wave of sailors were blown back onto their ship by another strong wind.

"Flynn," called Green. "Give up."

"Board, you filthy sea-dogs!" he barked.

A few more men tried to swing over on their ropes, but just as they did a gale-force wind blew through and all of them lost their grip and fell into the cold waters.

"Sea-witch!" someone called. Soft murmuring began circulating amongst the men. Green's emerald eyes shone brilliantly in the afternoon sun. They bore into the man named Flynn, but so caught up in anger was he that he did not heed the warnings. He grabbed a cutlass from some terrified youth and swung over to the ship.

Another wind, stronger than the first few, tore the man's hands straight off the rope. When he plunged overboard into the sea, Green bent over the railing.

"You know, the Whites can smell blood for miles," Green told the man as he came sputtering to the surface. "Even in the smallest amounts."

"Damn you, woman," he cursed. Green continued to gaze indifferently down at him. Then she shifted her gaze to the now leaderless crew of her ship.

"Let us board without mishap," Green told them, "and you may do the same. Then you may rescue your Captain from the depths. I'd advise taking the deal. It is rare for me to offer such a generous trade." The sailors shifted uncomfortably. They were apprehensive, for sailors were on average a suspicious lot, and there were none too few stories about the mysterious Sea-Witch with the ability to control the wind, among other arcane abilities.

Flynn was becoming impatient. "Do it!" he growled from his position in the water. At their captain's order, they relented.

Green took up her own cutlass and swung gracefully over to the _Hellfire_. Red didn't trust the ropes, so she decided to fly over. Blue very carefully imitated Green's actions and soon made it over without misfortune.

"Thank you," Green said. "Now you all may go."

"Green!" hissed Red. "What about the gold and the wine!"

"I'll take care of it," Green told her. She eyed the suspicious looking man, who was definitely not a sailor, at least not the type normally seen around there. He was approaching the place where Green and Red stood, eyes fixed on the Red woman. "Go down below," Green whispered to Red, "and see what they've got in the way of treasure."

"Okay!" Red agreed excitedly, scurrying away. She'd no doubt help herself to anything she fancied in particular, but Green didn't much care. That man was her foremost concern now. Black would not be pleased that someone would take so much apparent interest in Red.

"Over you go there," Green said, giving the strange man a rope and a push over the side.

"But…" he protested, to no avail.

"Ooohh," Red goggled upon opening the first of three chests in the hold. She leaned in and picked out an elaborate gold necklace. "They won't miss this," she told herself, pocketing it.


End file.
